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WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

(71A)  872-450w 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Mxrofiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collectaon  de 
microfiches. 


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la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

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dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  !e 
cas:  le  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Stre 
film6s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  ie  document  e3t  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich6,  il  est  filmd  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


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THE 


SPORTSMAN'S  Paradise; 


OR, 


0 

o 


0. 

•< 


THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


BY 


B.  A.  WATSON,  A.M.,  M.D. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 
DANIEL    C.    AND    HARRY    BEARD. 


PHILADELPHIA  : 

J-  B.   LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY. 
1888. 


15G299 


■I 


m'^o^^^^/} 


Copyright,  1887,  by  J.  15.  LippiNCOTT  Company. 


599 


AFFECTIONATELY   INSCRIHED 
TO 

REV.    THOMAS     M.    KILLEEN, 

A  STEADFAST   FRIEND,    AN   AGREEABLE  COMrANION, 
AND  A   TRUE  SPO.'tTSMAN, 


BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


I/J> 


PREFACE. 


The  acme  of  pleasure  can  only  be  attained  by  the 
sportsman  when  his  confrires  are  permitted  to  share  with 
him  in  the  excitement  of  the  chase.  In  this  respect  the 
chase  may  be  compared  to  a  good  dinner,  which  is  always 
most  enjoyable  when  partaken  of  in  the  company  of  con- 
genial spirits.  A  book  may  likewise  be  further  compared 
to  a  dinner,  since  the  first  chapter  is  commonly  introduc- 
tory to  the  better  parts  which  come  in  the  regular  order 
of  the  courses,  while  a  narrative  which  produces  no  pleas- 
urable  excitement  for  the  reader  is  like  a  dinner  without 
wine. 

This  mum  has  been  prepared  for  the  general  reading 
public,  but  it  is  thought  by  the  author  that  it  may  be  es- 
pecially enjoyed  by  sportsmen  and  the  rising  generation 
of  boys,  who  frequently  find  more  pleasure  in  the  perusal 
of  books  truthfully  delineating  the  excitement  of  the  chase 
than  in  reading  those  of  fiction. 

The  author  is  deeply  indebted  to  the  accomplished  artist, 
Dan.  C.  Beard,  of  New  York,  who  has  so  greatly  assisted 
him  m  the  presentation  of  the  more  interesting  parts  of 
this  narrative,  and  also  to  the  publishers,  J.  B.  Lippincott 
Company,  of  Philadelphia,  whose  work  speaks  so  well  for 
the  printing  art  in  America. 

B.  A.  WATSON. 

Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  October  12,  1887. 

vii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

RiCREATION    AND    ITS    OHJECT.._Cl.A,SSIFICATION   OK    HitNTERS-ACTIVE    EXER- 

ci^K  AN  Excellent  Kemeoy  kor  Ohesity-Si-ort  at  SiiELnvvn.LE,  Ten- 

NESSEE-WhaT   OCI-RRED  AT  THE    EVANS    HoUSE-A    FRIEND    IN    NkED   IS 

A  Friend  Indeed— Home  Once  More 


tUM 


CHAPTER  II. 

Three  Doctors  in  Search  ok  Sport-Our  Guides-The  Chief,  and  .he 

MAliNET   WHICH   CONTROLLED   HIM-TroUT-FISHING   ON    SUNDAY,   AND    THE 

Results  which  roi ..  wed  a  Violation  ok  the  Canadian  Law-Ch.ek 
John  in  Disgrace— Failure  ok  his  Plans ao 


CHAPTER  III. 

Grand  Fishing  Excursion-Watte's  Creek  visited  by  the  Governor  and 
EscuLAPius— Their  Return  and  Reception  at  Camp-Grand  Deer- 
Hunt,  LED  BY  Dr.  Pokorney— Chief  John  and  his  Assistants  are 
relieved  from  Duty  and  go  to  the  Rear  in  Disgrace-Dr.  Pokor- 
ney AND  other  Assistants. 


41 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  Start  and  Incidents  of  the  Journey-Lumbermen  and  their  Drunken 
Orgies— Travelling  by  the  Royal  Mail  Stage  in  Muskoka— The 
Party  attacked  by  Fleas-Camp  on  Canoe  Lake-Deer-Hunting- 
GovERNOR  Starts  for  Home-The  Remainder  ok  the  Party  okk  kor 
New  Fields-Camp  on  Pickerel  Lake-Rain  and  Fish-Crossing  the 
Horka-Porka  Portage-Camp  on  Rock  Lake-Trout-Fishing-Camp 
NEAR  Loon  and  Grass  Lakes-Camp  on  Sand  Lake-Homeward 
Bound    . 


IX 


6z 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    V. 

f 

The  Start  koiI  a  Grand   Moose-  and   Deer-Hunt — Selection  ok  a  Pho- 

tograi'her  and  the  clilek  guide— a  romantlc  wedding  and  the 
Honeymoon — Arrival  at  Rosseau  Village — Canadian  Stage  Route — 
Tkoprietor  and  Dri\er-Our  Old  Friend  "Chris" — Our  New-Made 
Acquaintance— Mr.  Struck,  of  Brooklyn 


80 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Our  Departure  from  Rosseau — A  Charming  Morning  and  a  Healthful 
Walk — Camped  near  Spence— Incidents  which  occurred  there- 
Joined  BY  our  Guides— Camped  on  Birch  Island — Camp-Life  on  Ahmic 
Lake — Struce  starts  for  Home — The  Balance  of  the  Party  off  on 
a  Long  Tramp — The  Beaver's  Trysting-Places — The  Photographf.r's 
Sport  near  Burr's  Falls — Plodding  through  Woods  after  Dark — 
The  Youthful  Driver — A:iri/al  at  Sphynx  Shoot       .        .        .        .102 


CHAPTER    VII. 

The  Movements  of  our  Hunting-Party — Crcssivg  the  Hor-ka-por-ka  Port- 
age— Fishing  in  Rock  Lake — Another  Advance — Deer-IIunting,  etc. 
— The  Journey  from  Trout  Lake  to  Long  Lake — Camp  on  Long  Lake — 
More  Deer-Hunting — An  Exciting  Contest,  in  which  the  Photogra- 
pher Wins 124 

CHAPTER    VIII. 

Drying  Venison — A  Grand  and  Beautiful  Mountain  Gorge — The  Meet- 
ing AT  the  Beaver-Dam— Our  Photographer  Lost  in  the  Wilderness 
— A  Lonely  Night  on  Buck  Lake— The  Horridle  Dream — The  Lost 
Man  Found— The  Unexpected  Meeting  with  a  Bull  Moose        ,        .  146 


CHAPTER    IX. 

A  Shot  at  a  Bult,  Moose— Following  the  Moose-Tr/.il — Moose  calling 
— Breaking  Camp  on  Loi  g  Lake — Camp  on  Trail  hetween  Upper 
Long  and  Sugar-Bush  Lakes — Bad  Weather  and  Consequent  Delay 
— Preparation  and  Start  on  the  Reconnoissance 167 


^ 

n 


FAGB 


80 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    X. 


xi 


PAGS 


The  First  Dinner— Killed  a  Dekr— Following  a  Moose-Trail— Camped 

ON  THE  Trail— Preparation  for   spendincj  the  Night— 0>tr   Lean-to 

-A  Snow-Storm— Long,  Dreary  Tramp— Discovery  of  a  Moose- Yard 

—A  Highly-Exciting  Chase— Killed  two   Red   Deer— A   Disgusted 

AND   Angry   Captain— Honest    Toil    brings   Refreshing   Sleep— The 

Hunt  resumed      .        .  „ 
" 189 


102 


CHAPTER    XI. 

The  Discovery  of  Moose-The  Killing  of  two  Moof;E  and  the  Wound-      ' 
ing  of  Another-Our  Camp  on  Moose  Hill-The  Return  to  Sugar- 
Bush   Lake— A    Severe    Rain-Storm-   Return   to   Moose   Hill-The     > 
Deaj    Moose    Photographed— Another    Expedition— The    Bear— A      : 

Snow-Storm— A  Hard  Tramp     . 

210 


124 


CHAPTER    XII. 

The  Bear  which  was  not  killed-Following  the  Moose— The  Captain 

KILLED    THE   BULL    MoOSE— PACKING   OUT   OF    THE   WOOUS— ThE    ReST    AT 

HvRKNEss's  Shack— A   Hard  Tramp— Burk's   Falls-A  Dekr-Hunt-     . 
Another   Trip   to  Canada    in  the   Company  of  my  Son,  a   Lad   op 
Fifteen-Teaching   the    Boy  to  Shoot-Killed  his    First    Deer- 
An  Exciting  Chase— The  Old  Doe  makes  her  Escape  ....  235 


146 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

The  Continuance  of  the  Deer-Hunt-An  Exciting  Chase-Brilliant 
Mak.kuvring  up  an  Old  BccK-r.REAKiNG  Camp  on  the  I-.and-A 
Partridge-Hunt  by  the  Roadsidk-An  Exciting  Race  betwben  ••  1  m" 
ANi.  THE  Old  Cocker-Spaniel-Our  Return  to  Maganetawan-The 
Trip  from  Maganetawan  to  Toronto      ...  ( 


167 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


'IP 


Camp  on  Long  Lake Frontispiece. 

"  We  immediately  walked   up  to  the  office,  each  carrying  a 
double-barrelled    shotgun,    followed    by  three    hunting- 

DOGS" Page      IS 

"  Say    NOTHING   ABOUT   THE   CONDITION    OF   OUR   CLOTHING"     ...  "29 

Swallowing  fish  and  fish-stories "48 

"  He  has  evaded  the  dog,  hut — " .  "52 

"Tuesday,  the  Governor  and  myself  each  shot  a  deer"      .        .  "67 

"  It  is  a  serious  thing  to  get  lost  in  the  wilds  of  Canada"      .  •'      76 

A  wedding  in  the  wilderness "95 

"  I  don't  believe  she  knows  that  she  is  wanted"         ...  "     108 

We  are  ready  for  the  journey "129 

"  He  shot  the  deer  just  as  it  broke  from  cover"         ...  "     133 

Beaver-dam  and  house "150 

"The  first  glance  which  I  obtained  of  this  huge  animal  was 

WHILE   he  was   standing  WITH   HIS   SIDE  TOWARDS   ME"           .           .  "       l68 

The  WOODS  are  full  of  them    ........  "201 

"Fire  at  him!" "213 

The  dead  monarch "     217 

The  nearest  settlement "     234 

Food  for  the  ravens  left  by  bruin "     236 

A  hard  tramp — homeward  bound "     242 

"We  found  them  standing  on  the  dry  ground,  while  the  doe 
WAS  lying  at  their   felt  and  the  hounds  were  fawning 

ABOUT  them" "       265 

The  dead  doe "     267 

That  retriever "     285 


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28s 

The  Sportsman's  Paradise; 

OR,    THE 

LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


CHAPTER    I. 


Recreation  and  its  Objects— Classification  of  Hunters— Active  Exercise 
AN  Excellent  Remedy  for  Obesity— Sport  at  Shelbyville,  Tenn.— 
What  Occurred  at  the  Evans  House— A  Friend  in  Need  is  a  Friend 
Indeed— Home  Once  More. 


HE    prudent     business     man, 
before    making   an    investment 
or     inaugurating-     any    important 
change    in    his    affairs,    is    accus- 
tomed to  ask  the  question,    Will 
Is  it  a  good  investment?      The  same  question 
may  be  properly  asked  by  any  person   prior  to  his    de- 
parture for  the  great  forests  of  the  Dominion  of  Canada. 
The  answer  to  this  query  must  generally  depend  on 
the  physical  condition  of  the  individual  and  his  apprecia- 


it  pay? 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


tion  of  the  sports  which  are  obtainable  in  these  grand 
forests. 

Man,  in  all  conditions  of  life,  after  prolonged  and 
earnest  toil,  requires  recreation, — i.e.,  a  refreshment  of 
strength  and  spirits ;  but  this  cannot  always  be  obtain- 
able in  the  same  way.  The  overwrought  workingman, 
in  the  full  possession  of  physical  energy,  in  perfect  health, 
and  possessed  of  the  ordinary  amount  of  physical 
strength,  does  not  require  the  same  sort  of  recreation 
as  the  sedentary,  overworked  student,  professional  or 
business  man.  In  the  former  instance,  a  few  days'  rest, 
with  an  increased  amount  of  sleep,  serves  to  fully  restore 
the  temporarily  depressed  physical  and  mental  vigor. 

The  intelligent  practice  of  the  fatigued  German 
workingman,  who  gathers  his  family  about  him  and  hies 
away  to  some  neighboring  grove,  where  he  spends  a 
peaceful  and  quiet  holiday,  thus  obtaining  pure  air  and 
rest,  cannot  be  too  highly  commended.  The  whole  family 
having  spent  a  pleasant  and  profitable  day  in  the  open 
air,  commonly  return  to  their  overcrowded  and  badly- 
ventilated  apartments  in  the  early  evening;  each  member 
of  the  faniily  being  better  satisfied  with  himself,  and  what 
is  still  better,  satisfied  with  the  others,  they  now  partake 
of  their  frugal  meal,  and  retire  early  to  their  humble  cots, 
where  they  may  sleep  soundly,  suffering  neither  from  tJi- 
somnia  nor  frightful  dreams,  but  awake  in  the  morning 
completely  refreshed.  Consequently  the  Sabbath  comes 
to  the  workingman  as  a  complete  restorer,  as  a  day  of 
perfect  recreation. 

Physical  exertion    commonly  produces  only  bodily  fa- 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


ly  fa- 


tio-ue,  while  the  vital  organs  are  maintained  by  the  same 
power  in  a  healthy  state,  and  their  various  functions  are 
performed  in  the  best  possible  manner.  It  is  therefore 
apparent  that  the  physical  condition  of  workinirmen  is 
not  o-enorally  such  as  to  require  the  active  exercise  which 
the  hunter  gains  by  the  Canadian  chase,  especially  when 
stalking  his  game ;  but  a  high  appreciation  of  the  sport 
may  be  an  ample  compensation  for  every  expenditure. 

It  may  be  mentioned  in  this  connection  that  various 
hunting-parties  seek  recreation  in  the  forest  in  divers 
ways ;  and  consequently  it  is  necessary  to  offer  on  this 
point  an  explanation  for  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated, 
although  no  attempt  will  be  made  to  give  a  complete 
classification.  The  heterogeneous  mass  of  men  entering 
the  forest  with  guns  and  dogs  are  generally  supposed  to 
be  hunters,  but  in  fact  among  these  may  be  frequently 
lound  men  whose  peculiarities  of  mind  and  tastes  are 
more  nearly  allied  to  those  of  Oscar  Wilde  than  to  those 
of  Daniel  Boone.  It  is  therefore  natural  that  these 
game-seekers  should  be  continually  looking  for  a  hunter's 
paradise  in  the  shape  of  a  first-class  hotel,  in  the  midst 
of  a  grand  forest,  from  the  porticoes  of  which  can  be  shot 
the  great  moose,  the  beautiful  deer,  and  all  the  other 
species  of  smaller  game,  while  the  same  must  be  acces- 
sible by  an  elegant  steamer  or  grand  palace-car. 

This  class  of  hunters  are  continually  fault-finding,  are 
never  happy,  and  seem  to  wish  their  companions  to  be 
as  miserable  as  themselves.  They  never  enter  the  woods 
without  returning  to  their  homes  disgusted  and  thoroughly 
dissatisfied.     Another  class,   commonly  calling  themselves 


w 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


1 1 


■  W 


sportsmen,  frequently  start  from  their  homes  heavily 
laden  with  kegs,  demijohns,  and  numerous  boxes  well 
filled  with  bottles;  and  it  may  here  be  added  that  their 
luggage  conveys  a  correct  idea  of  the  recreation  which 
they  may  be  expected  to  obtain  when  partially  withdrawn 
from  the  restrictions  imposed  upon  them  by  the  rules  of 
civilization.  It  will  not  be  necessary  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  their  purpose  that  they  should  traverse  wide 
tracts  of  wilderness,  or  be  supplied  with  the  most  im- 
proved guns,  the  best  dogs,  or  a  large  amount  of  food, 
since  the  free  imbibition  of  the  spirits  with  which  they  are 
so  abundantly  supplied  will  assuredly  give  them  a  highly 
spiritual  nature,  in  which  condition  they  should  not  be 
expected  to  join  in  the  chase  or  perform  any  other  acts 
which  commonly  characterize  the  ordinary  corporeal  man. 
It  will  therefore  be  sufficient  for  their  purposes  that  they 
withdraw  from  our  crowded  thoroughfares  to  some  quiet 
nook,  village,  or  grove,  where,  in  cabin  or  tent,  surrounded 
by  some  congenial  guides, — boon  companions, — they  suc- 
ceed in  whiling  away  a  few  days  or  weeks  in  a  style 
which  has  always  honored  the  memory  of  Tam  O'Shanter. 

It  is  not  very  unusual,  even  among  these  parties,  when 
the  effects  of  their  deep  imbibition  have  passed  away,  to 
find  them  engaged  in  target-practice,  and  they  may  occa- 
sionally sally  forth  for  a  few  hours  in  search  of  game.  It 
is  generally  a  matter  of  some  pride  with  these  so-called 
sportsmen  to  be  able  to  say  that  they  shot,  during  their 
sojourn  in  the  land  of  game,  one  or  more  deer,  and  to 
accomplish  this  purpose  it  is  said  to  be  not  an  infrequent 
practice  with  them  to  send  out  their  guides  with  instruc- 


1 


OR,  THL   LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA.  5 

tions  to  purchase  one  of  these  desirable  animals,  which  had 
been  previously  taken  in  the  chase  by  some  other  hunter ; 
the  bargain  having  been  made,  the  deer  is  brought  to  the 
ambitious  sportsman,  who  then  fires  a  charge  of  bur'c-shot 
or  a  ritle-bullet  into  the  dead  carcass,  and  on  this  act  his 
claim  to  have  shot  or  killed  the  much-coveted  game  is 
based. 

Having  nf-w  mentioned  some  of  the  characteristics  of 
the  pseudo-sportsman,  we  turn,  with  increased  pleasure,  to 
a  consideration  of  the  more  noble  character, — the  true 
hunter.  The  true  hunter,  in  many  particulars,  resembles 
the  true  soldier,  and  in  several  respects  their  lives  are  es- 
sentially the  same :  both  are  inured  to  hardships  and  like- 
wise exposed  to  dangers,  while  unusual  fatigue,  severe  and 
often  prolonged  deprivation,  are  their  common  lot.  Both 
are  stimulated  by  conquest  and  likewise  depressed  by 
failure.  The  true  hunter's  enthu^^iasm,  like  the  true  sol- 
dier's, resembles,  in  some  respects,  the  spirit  which  ani- 
mates, und::r  certain  circumstances,  the  old  war-horse  and 
the  decrepit  hunting-dog.  Instances  are  occasionally  re- 
lated in  which  a  noble  charger  has  been  compelled  by  ad- 
verse circumstances  to  accept  service  on  the  farm  in  his  old 
age;  but  even  now,  when  harnessed  to  the  plough,  we  are 
told  that  this  noble  animal  is  frequently  so  excited  by  the 
bugle-notes  sounding  the  cavalry  charge  that  he  rears  his 
head  and  tail,  cocks  his  ears,  and  dashes  away  in  search  of 
an  unseen  enemy, — showing  that  he  has  not  yet  lost  his 
fires  of  youth,  and  that  he  still  desires  to  participate  in  the 
bloody  work  of  war, — to  hear  the  boom  of  the  cannon,  the 
ratding  shots  of  the  carbine,  or  to  see  the  flashes  of  the 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


flittering  sabres.  The  old,  decrepit  hunting-dog,  half 
blinded  by  age,  stiffened  in  every  limb  by  rheumatism, 
having  been  compelled  by  infirmities  to  remain  in  the 
kitchen  corner  for  years,  is  aroused  to  a  new  life  by  the 
click  of  a  gun-lock,  raises  his  eyes  towards  his  master's 
face,  staggers  to  his  feet,  and  once  more  expresses  his  love 
of  the  chase  by  jumping  about  the  hunter's  limbs,  lovingly 
caressing  his  hands,  and  following  on  with  the  other  dogs, 
hunting  through  field  and  forest  until  his  strength  com- 
pletely fails,  then  uttering  a  dismal  howl, — proclaiming  his 
disappointment  and  rage  caused  by  his  inability  to  go 
farther, — falls  to  the  ground  and  frequently  fails  to  reach 
again  the  kitchen  corner,  but  is  often  mercifully  relieved 
from  further  suffering  by  death  in  this  last  effort.  The  true 
sportsman  is  possessed  of  a  high  degree  of  enthusiasm, — 
he  joins  in  the  chase  because  it  gives  him  pleasure, — ex- 
citement which  it  produces  causes  him  to  forget,  for  the 
time,  hunger  and  fatigue.  He  therefore  follows  the  game 
from  morning  until  night.  His  food  is  commonly  plain,  but 
nutritious,  still  no  one  enjoys  eating  more  than  the  sports- 
man, since  his  system  has  been  fully  prepared  for  the  food, 
and  it  may  be  further  added  that  the  food  is  adapted  for 
the  wants  of  the  body.  The  hunter  makes  his  bed  on 
smooth  mother-earth,  spreads  his  rubber  blanket  over  the 
sweet-scented  balsam  branches,  or  should  his  time  be  too 
much  occupied  with  other  matters,  then  these  branches  will 
be  omitted,  but  without  seriously  interfering  with  his  repose. 
It  is  important  to  remember  in  this  connection  that  those 
who  have  lived  a  sedentary  and  studious  life  are  particu- 
larly prone  to  suffer  from  various  forms  of  dyspepsia  and 


■•"*»» 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


4 


likewise  insomnia.  //  may  also  he  boldly  asserted  at  this 
point,  without  entering  iyito  any  long  inquiry  bearing  on  the 
etiological  or  pathological  conditions  of  these  morbid  states, 
that  the  man  who  ivill  engage  in  the  chase  zvith  all  the  en- 
thusias7n  of  a  true  sportst,i.an,  and  will  follow  the  same  a 
feru  months,  will  certainly  find  more  benefit  from  this  course 
of  procedure  than  could  possibly  be  obtained  by  the  most  sys- 
tematic restrictions  in  the  use  of  food.  Active  exercise  thus 
obtained  will  efficiently  relieve  obesity  and  also  develop  the 
muscular  system. 

In  this  manner  it  is  entirely  practical,  and  at  the  same 
time  free  from  danger,  to  reduce  the  weight  to  any  desired 
standard,  and  that,  too,  while  the  diet  is  wholly  unrestrained, 
except  by  the  ex'^^^ncies  which  are  inseparable  from  the 
life  of  a  hunter  in  the  forest,  more  or  less  removed  from 
the  luxuries  of  modern  civilization.  In  this  instance  a  re- 
duction of  weight  is  effected  almost  entirely  by  the  active 
and  prolonged  exercise,  which,  instead  of  being  a  drudgery 
hard  to  be  borne,  is  a  noble  sort  of  labor  which  gives  rise  to 
tlie  most  pleasant  thoughts,  and  at  the  same  time  gratifies 
an  exalted  ambition. 

The  literary  man  who  joins  in  the  chase  with  true 
sportsmen  will  very  soon  discover  that  hunting  is  both  a 
science  and  an  art;  and  consequently  this  pastime  supplies 
him  with  the  necessary  occupation  for  both  body  and  mind. 
The  rnodus  operandi  by  which  it  is  accomplished  is  easily 
comprehended  by  any  thoughtful  person.  The  loss  of 
adipose  tissue  depends  almost  entirely,  in  this  case,  on  the 
exercise  taken,  while  the  increased  muscular  development 
is  due  to  the  same  agency.     It  will  therefore  be  observed 


T^' 


8 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


that  depriving  fat  patients  of  certain  sorts  of  food  which 
are  frequently  considered  by  them  as  essential  to  their 
happiness  is  not  required  by  this  method  of  treatment. 

The  athlete  generally  depends  for  the  reduction  of 
weight  on  this  system  of  active  exercise  rather  than  on 
any  restrictions  of  diet.  Furthermore,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  if  this  simple  method  of  treating  obesity  was  fully 
understood  it  would  be  very  popular  with  those  affected 
with  a  tendency  to  an  over-accumulation  of  fat,  since  |/cr- 
sonal  deformity  would  thus  be  avoided,  and  the  individual 
so  relieved  would  be  enabled  to  perform  his  role  in  life  as  a 
worker  and  bread-winner  with  increased  ease. 

The  science  of  cookery  has  nov/  attained  to  such  a 
degree  of  perfection  as  to  promote  epicurean  tastes,  and 
likewise  to  lead  to  extensive  gormandizing,  especially 
among  the  rich  and  those  of  sedentary  habits.  Its  evil 
effects  become  most  apparent  in  middle  life,  while  it  can- 
not be  denied  that  in  many  instances  it  is  carried  forward 
into  old  age.  During  childhood  and  early  life,  the  age  of 
great  physical  activity,  obesity  is  rarely  seen.  This  fact 
speaks  volumes  in  favor  of  active  physical  exercise  as  an 
agency  for  the  prevention  of  obesity ;  but  it  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  every  person  overburdened  with  fat  will 
possess  the  required  energy  to  exercise  sufficiently  to 
materially  diminish  this  undesirable  burden.  Many  of 
them  will  be  seen  waddling  about  our  cities,  even  when  the 
temperature  is  below  seventy  degrees  Fahrenheit,  puffing 
and  blowing  like  a  wind-broken  horse  while  being  exercised, 
and  when  the  weather  becomes  warmer  these  unfortunate 
mortals  are  compelled  to  employ  fans,  seek  rest  in  shady 


OK,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


nooks,  Imbibe  ice-water  and  other  cooling  drini<s  in  order 
to  relieve,  so  far  as  possible,  their  present  misery. 

The  efforts  made  by  these  very  corpulent  persons  to 
secure  merely  present  relief  forcibly  remind  me  of  the 
action  of  an  over-fattened  hog  on  a  hot  July  day,  when  it 
half  buries  itself  in  the  cool  earth,  mud,  or  any  other 
cooling  substance  which  may  be  accessible  to  the  poor 
sufferer,  and  in  which  it  commonly  remains,  uttering  only 
an  occasional  grunt,  until  food  is  again  placed  before  it, 
when  it  once  more  gorges  itself.  So  lives  our  typical  fat 
man.  So  lives  our  over-fattened  hog.  Both  live  only  to 
eat,  but  do  not  eat  to  live.  Let  it  be  ever  remembered 
that  physical  activity  is  antagonistic  to  an  excessive  accu- 
mulation of  fat  in  the  whole  animal  creation,  and,  conse- 
quently, the  ever-active  weasel,  fox,  and  many  other  active 
animals  which  might  be  mentioned  are  never  burdened 
with  obesity. 

It  may  be  boldly  asserted  that  physical  activity  is  the 
very  best  prophylactic  agent  which  has  ever  been  employed 
against  obesity,  and  that  it  is  also  entitled  to  a  high  rank 
as  a  curative  means  in  the  treatment  of  the  same  morbid 
condition.  It  must  be  evident  to  every  thinking  person 
that  the  time  spent  by  our  overworked  sedentary  students, 
professional  and  business  men  at  Long  Branch,  Newport, 
Saratoga,  and  other  fashionable  resorts  does  not  yield 
them  ample  returns :  it  does  not  supply  them  with  com- 
plete recreation,  but  only  idleness, — a  condition  of  things 
better  calculated  to  do  good  to  the  overworked  farmer 
and  mechanic.  This  remark  is  likewise  applicable  to  the 
majority  of  the  middle-aged  ladies  who  are  found  lounging 


lO 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


away  their  time  in  these  places,  while  the  younger  ladies, 
who  dance,  ride  on  horseback,  and  otherwise  exercise,  can- 
not be  placed  in  the  same  category. 

There  are  certain  conditions  which  are  absolutely 
necessary  to  a  high  degree  of  bodily  health,  and  among 
thetii  may  be  mentioned,  as  being  of  the  highest  impor- 
tance, physical  exercise,  pure  air,  the  proper  quantity  of 
wholesome  food,  and  sufficient  sleep. 

Having  given  our  attention  to  the  subject  of  obesity, 
■we  will  now  turn  to  the  consideration  of  some  of  the 
affections  connected  with  the  alimentary  canal  and  nervous 
system.  These  diseases  are  specially  common  among 
sedentary  persons  and  those  engaged  in  literary  pursuits ; 
therefore  professional  and  business  men  are  frequently 
their  victims.  I  am  able  to  call  to  mind  the  case  of  a 
lawyer  who  has  always  been  very  irregular  in  regard  to 
the  quality  and  quantity  of  food  which  he  has  taken  since 
he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and,  as  might 
naturally  be  anticipated,  inasmuch  as  he  has  entirely  dis- 
regarded all  the  well-known  laws  of  digestion  for  about 
fifteen  years,  he  is  now  paying  the  penalty  which  is  required 
of  those  who  violate  these  natural  regulations,  since  he 
suffers  severely  from  dyspepsia.  However,  it  should  not 
be  inferred  that  his  disregard  of  the  natural  laws  has  been 
fully  and  specifically  expressed  in  the  above  statement, 
since,  in  addition  to  what  has  already  been  said,  it  should 
have  been  added  that  he  has  generally  regulated  his  hours 
for  sleep  by  the  amount  of  time  which  he  has  been  able 
to  spare  from  study  and  other  mental  efforts  ;  and  inasmuch 
as  he  has  never  been  able  to  keep  up  with  these  demands^ 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


I  I 


ladies, 
e,  can- 

olutely 
among 
impor- 
tity  of 

obesity, 
of  the 
lervous 
among 
ursuits ; 
quently 
se  of  a 
[gard  to 
since 
might 
ly  dis- 
about 
quired 
ince  he 
uld  not 
las  been 
tement, 
should 
s  hours 
en  able 
lasmuch 
^mands^ 


his  hours  for  repose  have  been  generally  insufficient  and 
very  irregular. 

Let  us  now  enter  more  specifically  into  a  consideration 
of  his  irregularities  of  diet,  and  it  mny  be  here  assumed, 
for  the  purpose  of  illustrating  our  subject,  that  this  busy 
man  has  been  accustomed  to  rise  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  bn-akfast  hurriedly  on  a  cold  potato,  rush  off  to 
business,  keep  himself  at  the  boiling  heat  of  excitement  until 
one  P.M.,  when  he  may  enter  some  eating-house,  swallow 
quickly  some  sauer-kraut  and  ice-cream,  going  through 
about  the  same  business  performance  in  the  afternoon  as 
in  the  morning,  mriintaining  about  the  same  temperature ; 
but  when  six  o'clock  p.m.  is  reached  you  may  possibly  find 
him  sitting  down  at  a  well-provided  table,  bolting,  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  his  dinner,  that  he  may  be  able  to 
spend  at  least  six  hours  after  this  meal  in  s'^'dying  a  case 
which  he  is  expected  to  try  in  court  the  following  day.  I 
,  have  been  informed,  however,  that  he  occasionally  misses 
a  dinner,  and  that  if  search  be  made  in  his  bedroom  you 
will  find  him  there,  lamenting  his  sad  fate  and  complaining 
loudly  of  a  severe  pain  in  his  abdomen.  The  same  gende- 
man  further  disregards  the  rules  of  health  by  an  intem- 
perate use  of  tobacco, — chewing  as  well  as  smoking, — and 
frcquendy  entering  the  dining-room  while  using  the  weed, 
which  he  only  discards  in  time  to  begin  the  mastication  of 
food.  Is  it  strange  that  this  gentleman,  having  followed 
such  a  life  for  about  fifteen  years,  should  now  find 
himself  suffering  with  dyspepsia,  insomnia,  and  hypochon- 
driasis ?  Is  it  not  strange,  on  the  contrary,  that  he  is  sdll 
living?     The  practical  question  which  now  presents  itself 


I 


12 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


liii 


for  our  consideration  is,  How  can  he  be  benefited  ?  Does 
he  require  medicine  ?  The  ansiver  to  this  question  ihulU  be 
emphatically,  no  I  He  must  have  recreation,  and  having 
been  thus  brought  into  a  healthy  state,  he  must  then  be 
brought  to  obey  the  laws  of  nature,  to  live  and  work  like  a 
rational  man.  ■;>  ; 

The  unexplored  wilderness  affords  the  most  inviting 
field  for  the  required  recreation  in  these  cases,  and  offers, 
at  the  same  time,  the  most  favorable  conditions  for  the 
restoration  of  this  class  of  cases,  especially  if  the  patient 
can  be  prevailed  upon  to  lead  the  life  of  an  active,  indus- 
trious hunter. 

In  the  wilderness  the  patient  is  removed  from  every 
temptation  co  any  sort  of  mental  labor;  he  is  undisturbed 
by  business  or  any  other  outside  communications,  since  he" 
is  far  from  post-office  or  telegraph.  The  new  order  of 
business,  if  engaged  in  stalking  game,  is  tramp,  tramp, 
during  the  live-long  day,  while  the  mind  is  occupied  with 
pleasant  anticipations  of  prospective  or  present  sport ;  the 
blood  courses  through  its  vessels  with  unwonted  vigor,  the 
lungs  are  fully  and  rapidly  inflated  with  pure  air,  which 
very  seldom  happens  among  sedentary  persons,  although 
so  important  to  the  health  of  all  classes ;  a  wholesome 
appetite  is  engendered  by  this  active  exercise,  and  after 
spending  a  delightful  evening  around  the  brightly  blaj'.ig 
camp-fire,  where  a  rehearsal  of  the  adventures  of  the  day, 
with  story  and  song,  enliven  the  hour,  the  sportsman  retires 
to  his  couch  beneath  his  canvas  tent  or  lean-to,  where  his 
blankets  have  been  spread  for  him  by  his  guides  on  balsam 
boughs   which  are   giving  forth  their  agreeable    perfume. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


13 


Does 

mat  be 
having 
hen  be 
•  like  a 

nviting 
[  offers, 
for  the 
patient 
,  indus- 

every 
sturbed 
ince  he^ 
der  of 

tramp, 

d  with 
>rt;  the 

or,  the 


^ 


:i 


1 


On  these  he  soon  falls  asleep  without  rocking  or  song, — 
sleeps  during  the  entire  night,  and  awakens  in  the  morning 
fully  refreshed  and  prepared  for  another  day's  toil.  Thus 
passes  day  after  day  with  the  true  sportsman  in  the  forest. 

Illustrating  the  health-giving  power  of  active  exercise, 
the  author  will  here  briefly  refer  to  a  trip  which  he  re- 
cently made  to  Shelbyville,  Tennessee,  in  company  with  his 
le(>-al  friend  whose  case  has  already  been  mentioned ;  and 
here  it  should  be  also  stated  that  this  lawyer  had  ter- 
jiiinated,  on  the  day  of  his  departure  for  the  South,  a 
series  of  important  trials,  and  was,  therefore,  in  a  highly 
nervous  state.  This  nervous  excitability  was  very  marked 
in  all  his  movements  and  doings  during  our  journey. 
We  reached  War  Trace  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, rested  until  six  a.m.,  when  we  started  out  with  our 
guns  and  dogs  for  Shelbyville,  distant  from  the  former 
.place  about  eight  miles.  We  had  determined  to  spend 
the  day  with  the  quail,  which  are  very  abundant  in  this 
part  of  the  St£,te,  and  to  bring  up  in  time  for  the  evening 
meal  at  the  Evans  House  in  Shelbyville. 

It  was  a  warm  autumn  day,  but  the  excitement  of 
the  sport  kept  us  pretty  steadily  in  motion.  It  was  not, 
therefore,  until  late  in  the  afternoon  when  we  becran  to 
think  of  food,  rest,  and  shelter;  and  now,  inasmuch  as 
we  had  made  a  good  bag  of  birds,  it  seemed  entirely 
prvoper  to  abandon  any  further  search  for  game  and 
take  the  direct  route  for  the  hotel,  which  was  reached 
about  five  o'clock.  The  moment  we  left  the  fields,  en- 
tered the  road,  and  began  to  plod  along  towards  our 
destination,    the    spirit     of     the     sportsman     imn.cdiately 


'ih 


II 


H 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE. 


abandoned  us,  and  then  we  realized  that  we  were  sorely 
fatigued :  every  step  was  painful,  the  walking  was  miser- 
able drudgery ;  we  walked  a  few  rods  and  then  halted ; 
started  on  again ;  our  progress  was  slow,  but  we  could 
n'»t  remain  where  we  were, — we  must  go  lorward.  The 
desired  haven  was  at  last  reached.  We  immediately 
walked  up  to  the  office,  each  carrying  a  double-barrelled 
shot-gun,  followed  by  three  hunting-dogs,  registered  our 
names  and  that  of  the  gunner  who  accompanied  us,  asked 
for  our  rooms,  to  which  we  were  promptly  conducted, 
threw  off  some  portions  of  our  wardrobe  which  had  been 
burdensome  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  indulged 
momentarily  in  a  brevet-bath,  dropped  without  further 
delay  on  the  beds  with  which  our  rooms  were  provided, 
and  within  ten  minutes  each  man  in  the  party  was  sleeping 
soundly,  and  continued  to  sleep  for  about  two  hours,  when 
we  were  called  to  the  evening  meal,  arose  from  our  beds 
greatly  refreshed,  made  our  toilets,  after  which  we  partook 
of  a  hearty  meal  and  again  returned  to  our  rooms,  where 
we  recounted  some  of  the  events  of  the  day,  then  retired 
in  good  order  to  our  couches,  where  we  all  slept  soundly 
during  the  entire  night,  my  legal  friend  forgetting  for  the 
time  being  that  he  had  ever  suffered  from  insomnia  or 
anything  else. 

We  were  aroused  in  the  morning  by  the  loud  ringing 
of  a  bell,  which,  in  this  hotel,  was  used  to  announce  the 
time  for  rising  and  also  the  proper  moment  for  entering 
the  dining-room  for  meals.  We  responded  in  due  time 
to  the  demand  which  had  been  made  upon  us  by  this 
ringing,  and  corsequently  we  were  prepared  to  obey  the 


inging 
ce  the 
itering 
e  time 
y  this 
ey  the 


i6 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


second  summons  which  informed  us  that  breakfast  was 
now  ready.  However,  owing  to  greater  promptness  on 
the  part  of  others,  there  were  seated  around  the  large 
hotel  table  about  twenty  persons  at  the  time  we  en- 
tered the  dining-room,  who  were  observed  to  cast  side- 
long glances  at  us  without  speaking.  Few  words  were 
spoken  during  this  meal  by  any  of  the  guests,  but  our 
party  was  closely  eyed.  It  was  not,  however,  until  after 
breakfast  that  the  lawyer  and  myself  learned  the  purport 
of  all  this  when  our  gunner,  Alfred  Goldsmith,  called  my 
legal  friend  aside  and  informed  him  that  the  proprietor 
of  the  hotel  did  not  seem  to  be  quite  at  ease  in  regard 
to  the  nature  of  our  business.  The  lawyer  informed  me, 
after  his  interview  with  Mr.  Goldsmith,  that  the  proprietor 
had  been  quizzing  our  gunner  in  regard  to  our  intentions 
in  visiting  that  section  of  country.  When  informed  by 
the  latter  that  we  came  from  New  York  to  Tennessee 
for  a  few  days'  quail-shooting,  the  proprietor  expressed, 
emphatically,  his  doubts  in  regard  to  the  accuracy  of  this 
statem  nt,  and  promptly  informed  Goldsmith  that  he  was 
not  prepared  to  believe  that  the  gentV  men  with  him  were 
such  fools  as  to  travel  so  far  merely  to  kill  a  few  birds. 
This  remark  was  too  much  for  Goldsmith ;  he  had  no 
answer  for  it.  The  proprietor  observing  his  silence,  in- 
formed him  that  he  had  had  the  honor  of  entertaining, 
within  a  few  months,  Jesse  James  and  his  party,  and  that 
while  stopping  in  this  hotel  they  had  occupied  the  same 
rooms  in  which  we  were  now  lodged.  Goldsmith  was 
now  asked  if  he  was  familiar  with  the  different  points  of 
interest  about  Shelbyville.     He  answered  in  the  negative. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


17 


was 

■'> 

5s  on 

%■ 

large 
2    en- 

side- 

■  "V 
■i'i 

■ '  -3'- 

were 

■>iiaM 

It  our 

.^H 

I  after 

i^BH 

urport 

ed  my 

prietor 

regard 

ed  me, 

^j^H 

prietor 

entions 

ned  by 

inessee 

iressed, 

of  this 

i.^M 

he  was 

m  were 

^1 

')  birds. 

had    no 

*1 

nee,  in- 

1 

-taining, 

1 

,nd  that 

■Iw 

le  same 

ith   was 

oints  of 

''H 

legative. 

The    proprietor    tiien    mentioned    many    objects    of   local 
interest,  among  others  the  hangman's  tree,  situated  about 
four  miles  from  the  hotel,  and  also  added  that  there  had 
already  been  hung   about  a  half-dozen    persons    from    its 
branches.     Poor  Goldsmith  was  now  thoroughly  frightened, 
and    therefore     communicated     promptly    with    my    legal 
friend,  in  order  that  any  threatening  misfortune  might  be 
avoided.      The   lawyer    and   myself   having    learned    that 
there  was    really   some    anxiety  manifested   in    regard    to 
our  intentions,  promptly  determined  to  call  to  our  assist- 
ance John   Royall,  our  former  classmate,  now  living  near 
this  hotel,  and  who  was    sufficiently  acquainted  with  my 
legal   friend   to    b''    able    to    vouch    for    his    honesty   and 
truthfulness.      There  was  no   time   lost,  inasmuch   as   we 
proceeded    immediately    to   the   office    and   asked    to    be 
directed  to  the  drug  house  of  John  Royall  &  Co.     The 
hotel  clerk  gave  the  required   information,  and  my  legal 
friend    prompdy   departed,    determined   to   have  all  these 
suspicions  speedily  removed,  consequently  I  was  not  sur- 
prised when  I  was  requested,  half  an  hour  later,  to  meet 
Mr.  Royall  in   the  hotel    office.      An   introduction  to  the 
proprietor  by  Mr.  Royall  was  the  next  business  in  order. 
The   hotel    proprietor,  soon    after  this  introduction  by 
Mr.  Royall,  took  occasion  to  interview  him  privately.     The 
result  of  this  interview  having  proved  entirely  satisfactory 
I  to  our  host,  a  new  and  more  pleasant  relation  with  us  was 
immediately  inaugurated  in  the  hotel.     The  proprietor  and 
the  guests  no  longer  regarded  us  with  either  suspicion  or 
anxiety.     The  former,  however,  remarked  subsequently  to 
Mr.  Royall,  with  whom  he  was  very  well  acquainted,  that 


i8 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


I  'I 


it  did,  at  first,  st  em  very  strange  that  gentlemen  would 
travel  so  far  to  shoot  a  few  little  birds  ;  and  he  had  thought 
it  much  more  probable  that  we  were  in  the  employ  of  the 
United  States  government  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  up 
moonshiners,  who  at  the  time  were  making  much  trouble 
in  the  Southern  States. 

It  may  now  assist  some  of  my  readers  if  I  offer  a  slight 
explanation  in  regard  to  the  cause  of  the  excitement  which 
we  had  so  unintentionally  produced.  It  should  be  first 
stated,  in  this  connection,  that  neither  the  quai'  nor  any 
other  small  birds  are  often  hunted  by  gentlemen  in  that 
vicinity,  but  it  does  occasionally  happen  that  some  citizen  is 
seen  carrying  a  double-barrelled  shot-gun  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  the  life  of  a  fellow-man,  or  with  the  intention  of 
defending  himself  against  those  enemies  who  are  supposed 
to  be  seeking  his  blood.  An  interesting  instance  of  the 
latter  was  related  to  us  while  sojourning  in  Shelby ville. 
Our  old  classmate  and  friend  not  only  righted  matters  for 
us  at  the  hotel  but  joined  in  our  field  sports,  introduced  us 
to  his  friends,  who  vied  with  him  in  entertaining  us,  gave 
us  grand  dinners,  and  paid  us  many  other  attentions,  which 
seems  to  be  only  a  part  of  the  true  hospitality  which  per- 
vades the  South. 

Like  the  other  pleasant  parts  of  our  lives,  our  stay  in 
Shelbyville  had  its  end ;  and  having  spent  nearly  two 
weeks  with  our  new-made  friends,  we  returned  to  our 
homes  much  improved  in  health,  my  legal  friend  being 
now  able  to  sleep,  while  my  own  diabetic  trouble  had  been 
much  improved. 

The  question  may  be  properly  asked,  if  we  spent  our 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA 

*9 

time  in  the  best  possible  manner.  I  am  able  to  assert  posi- 
tively that  our  time  was  spent  most  agreeably.  The  field 
sports  were  for  us  true  recreation,  but  these  splendid  en- 
tertainments must  be  classed  with  the  milder  forms  of 
dissip^don. 


20 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


CHAPTER    II. 


I  I 


Three  Doctors  in  Search  of  Sport — Our  Guides— The  Chief,  and  the  Mag- 
net WHICH   CONTROLLED   HIM— TROUT-FisHINC!   ON   SUNDAY,  AND   THE   RESULTS 

which   followed   a   violation   of   the  canadian    law — chief  joiin   in 
Disgrace — Failure  of  his  Plans. 


HE  author  desires  to  preface  this  narra- 
tive with  the  statement  that  nearly  nine 
years  have  elapsed  since  these  events 
transpired,  and,  inasmuch  as  no  notes 
were  taken  at  the  time  of  the  occur- 
rences, it  may  be  necessary  for  the 
reader  to  make  some  allowance  for  want 
of  accuracy  in  some  of  the  minor  details. 

Furthermore,  inasmuch  as  my  companions  were  exceed- 
ingly modest  men,  who  might  blush  even  at  the  sight  of 
their  printed  names  on  these  pages,  we  will  designate  the 
leader  of  our  party  as  Governor,  a  title  which  well  becomes 
the  aristocratic  dignity  of  this  fine  old  gentleman.  A  fur- 
ther description  of  the  Governor,  as  he  appeared  at  the 
time  of  which  we  are  now  writing,  may  possess  additional 
interest  for  our  readers ;  and  therefore  we  will  add  that, 
although  we  have  here  spoken  of  him  as  an  old  gentleman, 
it  is  quite  doubtful  if  he  had  then  attained  his  sixtieth 
year.  Nevertheless,  his  hair  was  already  silvered  with  age, 
whiie  his  step  was  slow  and  slightly  unsteady;  figure  erect; 
height  about  five  feet  ten  inches ;  possessed  of  a  rather 
broad  chest,  while  in  other  respects  his  form  approximated 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


31 


the  aldermanic ;  complexion  light ;  face  full  well  rounded, 
partially  covered  by  side-whiskers,  and  showing  at  various 
points  enlivening  reddish  tints  caused  by  a  dilation  of  the 
capillary  blood-vessels ;  eyes  moderately  large,  and  of  a 
grayish  color;  while  neither  the  nose,  mouth,  nor  chin  pos- 
sessed any  marked  peculiarities  calling  for  a  particular 
description.  His  manner  of  speech  was  slow  and  often 
hesitating,  occasionally  expressing  his  wishes  and  views  by 
silenc^  rather  than  words.  He  also  maintained  a  dignified 
bearing  under  all  circumstances,  however  trying  the  situa- 
tion, and  was  never  known,  even  in  the  backwoods,  to 
remove  his  high  choker  or  spotless  linen.  He  would  not 
even  drink  tea  or  coffee  from  any  other  vessel  than  pure 
china,  while  a  silver  spoon,  knife,  and  fork  were  absolutely 
ess'^ntial  to  his  happiness.  It  must  already  be  apparent  to 
our  reader  that  the  Governor  possessed,  in  a  very  high 
degree,  those  important  qualifications  which  so  admirably 
fitted  him  for  the  performance  of  the  manifold  duties  of  an 
ambassador  rather  than  those  of  a  high  general  or  an 
adventurous  leader ;  consequently  I  am  fully  assured  that 
no  surprise  will  be  felt  when  I  assert  that  a  further  perusal 
of  this  chapter  will  establish  the  fact  that  it  was  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  ministerial  duties  that  he  won  his  chief 
laurels. 

The  other  members  of  this  famous  hunting-party  occu- 
pied subordinate  positions ;  consequently  no  detailed  de- 
scription will  be  given  of  them,  although  we  shall  hereafter 
speak  of  one  as  Esculapius  and  the  other  as  Scribe ;  while 
the  name  by  which  the  former  is  commonly  known  among 
his  friends  might  indicate  to  the  uninitiated  that  his  ancestry 


m 


4 


I 


J 


W""p'li 


22 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


were  originally  inhabitants  of  Finland.  It  may,  however, 
in  this  instance,  be  pardonable  to  say  of  Esculapius  that 
his  personal  appearance,  conversation,  and  movements  all 
declare  to  the  world  that  he  is  a  sturdy  member  of  the 
medical  profession,  possessed  of  a  strong  belief  of  the 
propriety  of  enforcing  the  laws  of  self-preservation,  while 
the  frequency  with  which  he  discharged  his  gun  when  in 
the  pursuit  of  game  was  certainly  sufficient  to  satisfy  his 
companions  that  he  believed  gunpowder  was  made  to  be 
burned;  but  the  effect  of  these  shots  having  never  been 
known,  it  must  always  remain  an  open  question  whether 
the  game  or  game-seeker  occupied  the  safer  position. 

It  was  early  in  the  month  of  September  when  this  party 
took  their  departure  from  Jersey  City  by  way  of  the  Erie 
Railroad,  leaving  behind  them  Gotham,  with  all  its  wicked, 
noisome,  and  enchanting  surroundings. 

Nothing  transpired  worthy  the  attention  of  the  Scribe 
until  we  reached  the  Canadian  custom-house  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Niagara  River.  Here  we  met  a  fine  old  Irish 
gentleman, — Canadian  custom-house  officer, — who  exam- 
ined our  baggage,  passed  and  properly  marked  the  same, 
and  then  made  himself  known  to  us  as  a  brother-sports- 
man possessing  a  lively  interest  in  our  prospective  sports. 
I  cannot  with  this  brief  notice  pass  so  lightly  by  this  mag- 
nificent specimen  of  the  human  family,  with  whom  I  had 
not  previously  met,  although  since  that  meeting  I  have  had 
s.everal  opportunities  to  listen  to  his  lively  stories  and  enjoy 
his  generous  hospitality.  I  believe  he  is  the  son  of  a  dis- 
tinguished major  who  at  some  former  time  commanded  a 
Canadian  fort  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Niagara  Falls,  having 


'.  .'^1 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


23 


received  his  commission  from  the  English  government. 
The  major's  son,  the  present  custam-iiouse  officer,  stands 
fully  six  feet  and  three  inches  without  boots ;  is  as  straight 
as  an  arrow,  well  proportioned,  and  possessed  of  a  military 
bearing;  while,  in  addition  to  all  this,  he  is  prompt  and 
courteous  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties.  Having 
examined  our  baggage  on  this  occasion,  he  entered  our  car, 
where  he  remained  in  conversation  with  us  nearly  an  hour, 
until  our  train  was  ready  to  proceed.  In  this  conversation 
he  imparted  to  us  much  practical  informatipn  relating  to 
the  selection  of  guides,  the  Canadian  localities  in  which  we 
would  be  most  likely  to  find  game,  etc.  In  answer  to  our 
inquiry  in  regard  to  the  habits  of  the  Indian  guides,  he 
replied,  "  They  are  generally  lazy,  filthy  fellows,  less  desir- 
able as  companions  and  servants  than  the  native  Canadian 
trappers  and  backwoodsmen."  In  support  of  these  views 
here  expressed  he  gave  us  a  detailed  statement  of  per- 
sonal observations  made  while  in  camp  with  some  friends 
who  had  employed  Indian  guides.  The  old  gentleman 
spoke  particularly  of  an  observation  made  by  himself  in 
the  early  morning,  while  the  Indian  guide  was  engaged  in 
cleaning  the  frying-pan  preparatory  to  cooking  the  break- 
fast for  the  hunters.  In  this  instance,  the  weather  being 
warm,  the  wardrobe  for  the  body  was  limited  to  a  single 
garment,  which  he  now  saw  the  "  noble  red  man"  using  for 
the  purpose  of  drying  and  cleansing  the  more  important 
cooking  utensil.  In  explanation  of  the  garment, — size, 
texture,  etc., — he  added  that  it  was  a  common  towel  which 
the  hunters  had  brought  with  them  for  the  purpose  of  dry- 
ing the  hands  of  the  guides  while  engaged  in  cooking,  etc., 


24 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


a  refinement  wholly  incomprehensible  to  the  Indian  mind, 
and  consequently  it  had  been  employed  for  a  very  different 
purpose.  He  also  spoke  of  their  long,  unkempt  hair,  its 
numerous  inhabitants,  the  effects  produced  by  shaking  and 
brushing  "t  over  food  and  blankets,  with  much  of  the  same 
nature.  During  the  narration  of  these  somewhat  impor- 
tant events  I  had  watched  carefully  the  deepening  expres- 
sions on  the  Governor's  face :  dark  clouds  had  gathered ; 
I  could  readily  read  "  No  red  man  need  apply ;"  while  even 
the  countenance  of  Esculapius  was  no  less  expressive ;  but 
here  I  read  "  Death  to  the  dirty  dogs ;  I  have  no  sympathy 
with  them."  The  Governor's  feelings  were  certainly  too 
deep  to  find  expression  in  words  at  this  time.  He  had 
remained  entirely  silent  during  the  whole  conversation. 
Esculapius  had  spoken  only  a  few  words,  merely  in  mono- 
syllables ;  he  was  apparendy  overwhelmed  with  the  situa- 
tion. The  old  custom-house  officer's  face  was  now  wreathed 
in  smiles :  he  had  put  it  forcibly,  had  watched  carefully  the 
effects  of  the  narrative  on  these  amateur  sportsmen.  As 
our  train  was  now  ready  to  start,  he  bade  us  good-by, 
wished  us  succes^i  and  a  pleasant  time  in  Canada,  and  we 
were  off  for  the  woods. 

We  proceeded  from  Niagara  Falls  immediately  to  To- 
ronto, remaining  overnight  at  the  Queen's  Hotel.  In  the 
mean  time  the  Governor  telegraphed  to  various  persons  in 
different  parts  of  the  province  of  Ontario  for  guides,  etc. 
Replies  having  been  received,  it  was  determined  to  start 
for  Bracebridge  some  time  during  the  following  day,  where 
we  would  meet  guides  who  had  already  been  selected  for 
us  through  the  efforts  of  the  Governor. 


a 


OR,    TffE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


25 


In  accordance  with  this  decision  we  left  Toronto  in  the 
afternoon,  travelled  by  rail  as  far  as  the  Miiskoka  wharf, 
which  is  situated  on  Lake  Miiskoka,  and  from  this  point  by 
a  small  steamer,  which  reached  Bracebrid<;e  about  midniL^ht. 
The  instant  tiie  steamer  touched  its  whart  at  this  point 
three  guides  came  on  board,  sought  out  the  Governor,  held 
a  brief  interview  with  him,  caught  up  our  luggage  and 
quickly  passed  from  the  boat  to  the  shore,  where  they  were 
completely  enveloped  in  darkness,  as  there  were  no  lights 
on  the  wharf  and  the  steamboat  was  but  dimly  lighted.  It 
was,  therefore,  difficult  for  us  to  follow  these  guides  to  the 
hotel  where  we  had  determined  to  spend  the  remainder 
of  the  night.  The  darkness  was  so  intense  that  even 
after  our  eyes  had  become  accustomed  to  the  changed 
condition  due  to  our  passage  from  the  badly-lighted  boat  to 
the  absolutely  unlighted  streets  of  the  frontier  village,  our 
guides,  though  preceding  us  only  a  few  paces,  were  still 
completely  invisible.  It  was  during  this  trying  period  that 
the  chief  ingeniously  came  to  our  assistance  by  uttering 
from  time  to  time  shrill  war-whoops,  which  at  this  moment 
r'^called  to  the  mind  of  the  Scribe  the  doings  and  suffer- 
ings of  the  former  inhabitants  of  this  land, — the  ancient 
Hurons. 

Having  reached  the  hotel,  we  were  conducted  to  the 
bar-room  and  office,  which  was  dimly  lighted  with  a  single 
kerosene  lamp.  This  light  rendered  visible  the  forms  and 
faces  of  our  guides,  and  consequently  enabled  us  to  form 
our  own  ideas  of  the  persons  with  whom  we  were  expected 
to  associate  during  the  next  few  days. 

We  now  saw  standing  before  us  our  three  guides.    The 


lu 


.J 


'\  ?l 


m 


t  I. 


26 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


leader  was  a  man  of  small  stature,  about  thirty-five  years 
of  age,  with  an  erect  figure  and  rather  active  in  his  move- 
ments. This  man,  whose  name  would  probably  have  been 
written  "  Bottcher"  had  he  been  unfortunate  enough  lo  be 
born  in  Germany,  we  will  now  designate  as  John. 

The  chief  guide  was  accompanied  by  a  young  brother, 
only  seventeen  years  old,  who  was  to  go  with  us.  This 
boy  was  small  in  figure,  resembled  somewhat  his  brother, 
and  will  hereafter  on  these;  pages  be  mentioned  by  the 
name  of  Frank.  The  third,  a  man  standing  about  six  feet 
without  shoes,  erect  figure,  well  proportioned  in  every  part 
of  the  body,  with  a  glossy  black  face,  curly  black  hair,  flat 
nose,  and  projecting  heels,  was  certainly  the  largest  man  in 
our  party,  <ind  proved  a  very  efficient  and  honest  guide. 

We  will  christen  this  man  "Jim,"  and  let  the  reader  be 
assured  that  although  his  skin  was  black  he  was  in  every 
other  respect  "white."  During  his  stay  with  us  we  found 
him  at  all  times  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  and 
likewise  strictly  honorable,  preferring  to  be  discharged 
from  our  service  rather  than  that  we  should  be  balked  in 
our  efforts  to  obtain  sport.  It  was  setded  in  this  bar-room, 
prior  to  our  retiring  to  our  rooms  for  sleep,  that  we  should 
start  at  an  early  hour  the  next  morning  for  Baysville,  a 
little  hamlet  situated  on  the  south  branch  of  the  Muskoka 
River,  near  "Lake  of  Bays."  This  beautiful  lake  is  sit- 
uated about  fourteen  miles  northeast  of  Bracebridge  and 
one  mile  from  Baysville. 

The  chief  guide  had  strongly  recommended  this  lake ; 
had  spoken  of  it  as  the  "sportsman's  paradise";  and  it 
afterwards  was  made  plain  to  our  minds  that  he,  at  least, 


OR,   THE  LAKE   LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


ve  years 
is  move- 
ive  been 
gh  to  be 

brother, 

js.     This 
\  brother, 
d  by  the 
it  six  feet 
ivery  part 
:  hair,  flat 
;st  man  in 
guide, 
reader  be 
5  in  every 
we  found 
luties  and 
discharged 
balked  in 
bar-room, 
we  should 
aysville,  a 
Muskoka 
ake  is  sit- 


enjoyed  some  especial  pleasures  in  this  land,  which  for  com- 
plete happiness  did  not,  however,  require  the  use  of  either 
ofun  or  rod. 

V/e  learned  from  our  guides  that  we  could  reach  our 
destination  either  by  land  or  water :  the  ':anoes  could  be 
employed  to  transport  us  with  our  baggage  through  the 
south  branch  of  the  Muskoka  Pdver,  but  it  would  be  more 
expeditious  to  take  a  wagon  at  Bracebridge,  place  the  three 
canoes  and  other  impedimenta  in  it,  drive  over  the  rough 
wood  road  to  Baysville,  and  then  take  passage  by  the  river 
to  the  lake. 

The  next  morning  found  our  party,  with  the  exception 
of  the  guides,  fully  prepared  for  the  start  at  an  early  hour, 
i  he  latter  were  now  busy  in  gathering  in  the  canoes,  pro- 
visions, etc.  It  was  probably  about  eleven  o'clock  when 
we  left  the  hotel.  The  day  was  pleasant,  the  sun  shone 
brightly ;  the  almost  continuous  cries  of  the  blue  jay  were 
the  only  sounds  emanating  from  the  forest.  The  country 
traverseu  was  very  hilly ;  large  rocks  were  found  in  the 
wood  road ;  deep  ravines  were  spanned  by  stilted  corduroy 
bridges,  which  swayed  from  side  to  side  as  our  wagon 
passed  over  them.  Furthermore,  as  if  to  add  to  the  ex- 
citement of  the  journey,  one  of  the  horses  in  the  team 
which  had  been  hired  for  this  occasion  was  both  vicious  and 
balky,  and  seemed  to  enjoy  kicking  even  better  than  eating. 
The  Governor,  whose  peculiarities  have  already  been  men- 
tioned, seemed  greatly  to  p;  efer  walking  to  riding  this  day, 
a  fact  that  may  be  partially  explained  by  informing  the 
reader  that  the  only  seat  provided  in  the  wagon  was  in 
close  proximity  to  the  vicious  heels,  which  were  handled 


%■■■■   • 


?<f«^l 


28 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


with  great  dexterity.  The  day  passed  on  ;  many  halts  were 
made  to  rest  the  team,  and  during  one  of  these  the  Scribe 
went  a  short  distance  into  the  woods,  where  he  shot  a  pair 
of  wild  pigeons  and  soon  returned  with  them  to  the  wagon. 
We  reached  Baysviile  about  one  hour  before  sunset:  the 
canoes  were  promptly  placed  in  the  water  and  found  to  be 
leaking  badly  ;  but  there  was  now  no  time  for  repairs,  for 
we  were  anxious  to  reach  our  destination  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible in  order  to  make  ready  for  spending  tiie  i<.  .'•on  a 
point  of  land  near  where  the  river  comes  to  the  lake. 
I  have  already  said  that  the  canoes  were  leaking  badly, 
but  this  gives  the  reader  an  entirely  inadequate  idea  of 
their  true  condition.  They  were  certainly  un^.L  for  service, 
— old,  broken,  rotten  birch  structures.  The  guides  pro- 
portioned the  luggage  to  the  supposed  carrying  capacity 
of  the  frail  barks :  guns,  dogs,  rods,  and  blankets  were 
placed  in  position,  and  then  we  were  told  to  seat  ourselves, 
each  in  the  stern  and  on  the  bottom  of  the  canoe  which 
had  been  previously  assigned  to  us.  It  should  be  und 
stood  that  each  gentleman  in  the  party  was  provided  wit.:- 
a  separate  canoe,  which  was  managed  by  an  individual 
guide.  Frank  had  charge  of  the  vessel  carrying  the  Gov- 
ernor, Jim  was  with  Esculapius,  and  John  paddled  for  the 
Scribe.  r    ■; 

Prior  to  taking  our  departure  from  Baysviile  each  gen- 
tleman in  the  party  had  been  provided  with  a  dish  for  the 
purpose  of  dipping  out  the  water  which  found  its  way  into 
these  leaky  vessels.  It  was  found,  however,  impossible  to 
keep  them  afloat  more  than  a  few  moments  at  any  time 
even    by    the    most   energetic   action    on   our   part.      The 


■I 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


29 


o-uides,  therefore,  kept  close  in  to  the  river-bank,  and  when 
it  became  apparent  that  a  canoe  would  soon  sink  11  was 
quickly  paddled  to  the  shore,  drawn  upon  the  dry  land  and 
the  wa.er  emptied  out.  Let  the  kind  reader  now  imagine 
himself  seated  in  such  a  craft  as  I  have  just  described, 
under  the  same  circumstances,  and  I  think  he  will  fully 
excuse  me  if  I  say  nothing  about  the  condition  of  our 
clothing,  etc. 


"Say  nothing  about  the  condition  of  our  clothing." 

During  this  short  journey  from  Baysville  to  the  lake  our 
sturdy  friend  Esculapius  completely  lost  his  patience,  and 
pitched  a  poor  little  water-spaniel  off  the  canoe  into  the 
water.  This  was  a  dog  that  the  guides  had  borrowed  for 
us  at  Bracebridge,  that  we  might  at  least  have  some  canine 
company  while  hunting  partridges.  The  poor  dog  did  not 
have  much  reputation  as  an  assistant  in  Hunting,  but  I 
really  think  he  must  have  possessed  a  great  deal  of  dignity, 
inasmuch  as  he  never  showed  himself  in  our  presence 
aoain. 
Esculapius  was  very  frequently  reminded   of  this    sad 


!  f 


Il 


i 


lit  ii  -    1 :' 

Is  !i:  .  -   Ml 


SO 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


event  while  we  were  in  the  woods,  but  his  spirited  reply 
was  that  he  could  not  allow  his  own  life  to  be  jeopardized 
by  any  dog.  The  Governor  remained  silent  during  n".ost 
of  this  journey,  but  his  countenance  expressed  disgust,  and 
we  do  not  believe  he  has  yet  sufficiently  recovered  to  speak 
patiently  of  these  occurrences. 

In  due  time  we  arrived  at  the  designated  spot  where  we 
were  to  spend  the  night.  We  saw  now  a  small  clearing, 
possibly  about  two  acres  of  meadow-land,  and  in  the  clear- 
ing there  had  been  erected,  near  the  lake-shore,  a  small 
frame  barn.  Prior  to  our  arrival  the  grass  growing  on  this 
field  had  been  cut  and  gathered  into  this  building,  prepared 
for  its  reception.  The  sun  was  still  shining;  an  enchant- 
ing view  was  spread  out  before  us.  Here  were  the  clear 
waters  of  an  inland  lake,  probably  about  ten  miles  in 
length,  and  varying  in  width  from  one-half  to  nearly  three 
miles,  surrounded  with  hills  which  were  covered  with  virgin 
forest;  while  as  yet  there  were  only  two  or  three  small 
clearings  visible  to  us  from  the  point  where  we  had  halted 
for  the  night.  The  lake-shore  at  this  point  was  sandy, 
wood  convenient,  and  all  of  the  essential  conditions  for  a 
pleasant  camp.  The  entire  party,  including  guides,  were 
not  slow  to  leave  their  bath-tubs, — so-called  birch-bark 
canoes, — and  no  regrets  were  expressed  that  we  were  once 
more  on  land.  The  luggage  was  quickly  removed  and 
placed  in  such  a  position  as  to  favor  drying,  a  process 
which  was  still  further  aided  by  starting  a  fire.  The  tent 
with  which  our  party  was  provided,  a  fine  commodious  one, 
was  finally  erected  after  a  protest  en  the  part  of  our  chief 
guide,  who  declared  that  it  was  entirely  unnecessary,  as  we 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


could  sleep  so  nicely  on  the  fresh  hay  in  the  barn.  The 
proposition  to  sleep  in  the  barn  was  opposed  by  the  Scribe, 
an  old  soldier,  who  expressed  a  decided  preference  for  a 
bed  of  balsam  boughs  beneath  the  clean  canvas ;  but  the 
Governor  and  Esculapius  favored  the  proposition  made  by 
John,  who  was  supposed  by  them  to  know  very  well  what 
was  best  for  us  under  these  circumstances ;  therefore  the 
tent  was  employed,  while  we  remained  at  this  point,  only 
as  a  baggage-  and  mess-room.  The  tent  having  been 
erected  and  a  fire  built,  the  labor  next  in  order  was  the 
preparation,  by  the  guides,  of  the  evening  meal,  which 
consisted  of  broiled  ham,  broiled  pigeon,  bread,  butter,  and 
tea. 

The  labors  of  the  day  had  prepared  us  for  the  full 
enjoyment  of  this  meal,  which  was  followed  by  the  free  use 
of  cigars,  which  we  had  brought  with  us.  We  sat  about 
the  camp-fire,  smoking  and  chatting,  for  several  hours  after 
the  darkness  had  gathered  in  about  us. 

The  guides,  having  gathered  wood  for  the  camp-fire, 
and  performed  such  other  duties  as  were  required  of  them 
for  the  time  being,  with  our  consent  crossed  the  lake  in 
their  canoes,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  a  family  living  in 
a  log  cabin  distant  from  our  camp  about  two  miles.  We 
subsequently  discovered  that  the  principal  attraction  for 
our  guides  in  this  cabin  was  its  fair  and  rather  famous 
hostess,  who  seemed  to  be  equally  appreciated  by  the  chief 
and  his  colored  companion,  Jim.  It  was  about  nine  o'clock 
when  the  Governor,  Esculapius,  and  the  Scribe  entered  the 
barn,  spread  their  blankets  on  the  hay,  and  sought  refresh- 
ment in  sleep.      Towards    morning   their   slumbers   were 


i 


wm 


32 


THE  SPORTSAfAN'S  PARADISE; 


rudely  disturbed  by  the  entrance  of  the  guides,  who  were 
talking  and  laughing  joyfully,  being  in  no  manner  re- 
strained in  their  merriment  by  the  presence  of  those  whom 
they  had  engaged  to  serve.  Blankets  were  entirely  dis- 
carded by  them ;  they  threw  themselves  down  on  the  hay 
without  removing  any  portion  of  their  wardrobes.  The 
Governor  and  his  companions  now  discovered  that  the  hay 
on  which  they  were  r'^posing  was  not  quite  equal  to  a 
spring-bed  covered  with  a  hair-mattress.  Deep  holes  had 
formed  at  various  points  beneath  them ;  they  had  slipped 
from  their  blankets,  on  which  they  had  intended  to  repose  ; 
their  hair  and  clothing  had  become  filled  with  hay-seed, 
etc. ;  and  the  advantages  of  the  barn,  which  had  been  so 
glowingly  described  to  them  by  Chief  John,  were  not  fully 
realized.  The  Governor  never  winced  under  these  pecu- 
liarly trying  circumstances,  a  fact  that  has  always  been 
regarded  by  the  Scribe  as  a  marvellous  manifestation  of 
patience  and  fortitude  on  the  part  of  one  wholly  unaccus- 
tomed to  hardships.  Esculapius  came  to  the  front  in  the 
morning  smiling  and  happy.  He  evidently  cared  but  little 
for  the  trifling  annoyance  arising  from  hay-seed  and  the 
irregular  surface  of  the  bed  on  which  he  had  attempted  to 
sleep ;  it  had  not  endangered  his  life  ;  it  could  not  be  com- 
pared with  the  danger  that  had  threatened  his  life  on  the 
preceding  day,  when  he  had  so  cheerfully  parted  company 
with  the  little  dog.  The  Scribe  was  not  pleased  with  these 
sleeping  accommodations ;  knew  that  they  might  be  im- 
proved ;  but  then  there  was  some  consolation  in  the 
thought  that  he  had  suffered  much  less  in  this  situation 
than  the  Governor. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


Our  arrival  at  the  camp  had  taken  place  on  Saturday 
evening,  and  consequently  our  first  breakfast  was  partaken 
of  on  Sunday  morning,  while  we  were  seated  around  the 
camp-fire  at  about  nine  o'clock.  This  meal  had  been 
prompdy  prepared  by  our  fuides  as  their  first  duty  in  the 
morning,  but  the  next  thing  in  order  was  the  pitching  of 
tlieir  leaky  canoes, — a  labor  that  engaged  their  attention 
about  two  hours. 

Scarcely  had  this  work  been  completed  when  the  loud 
baying  of  the  hound — the  only  dog  now  remaining  with 
the  party — was  heard  in  the  swamp  not  far  distant  from 
our  camp.  This  hound  had  been  extravagantly  praised 
by  Chief  John,  the  owner,  during  our  short  acquaintance 
wi>li  hlm^  but  I  think  every  other  person  In  the  party  was 
inclined  to  look  on  him  as  a  worthless  animal.  The  chief 
now  shouted  to  us  joyfully,  "  Hear  the  music ;  get  your 
guns ;  my  hound  is  running  a  deer.  I  wish  to  station  you 
on  the  run-ways  coming  into  the  lake."  His  orders  were 
obeyed  with  alacrity ;  we  were  stationed ;  all  were  joyful ; 
but  it  was  soon  apparent  from  the  sounds  emitted  by  the 
hound  that  he  was  running  in  small  circles,  neither  leaving 
nor  approaching  the  lake,  and  could  not,  therefore,  be 
chasing  a  deer,  which  never  runs  in  this  manner,  but  was 
unquestionably  running  a  rabbit.  The  chief  guide  called 
us  away  from  the  run-ways,  after  having  kept  us  there 
about  an  hour.  While  standing  around  the  camp-fire  im- 
mediately after  our  return  from  the  run-ways,  Jim  said  to 
Chief  John,  "  Your  dog  was  chasing  a  rabbit  and  not  a 
deer."  The  chief  replied,  "  I  have  never  known  him  to  do 
so  before."     It  was,  however,  subsequently  admitted  by  the 

3 


.!t 


! 


i  I   I 


1 


I 


I 


ii 


34 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


li'(:h|.ii 


^l;i 


Mlili 


III 


ii 


owner  that  the  dog  had  never  been  trained ;  had  never 
been  tried  in  the  forest  on  any  game ;  and  permit  me  to 
say  that  many  subsequent  trials  demonstrated  to  us  his 
entire  worthlessness.  He  could  not  be  made  to  run  a 
deer.  The  further  doings  of  the  day  consisted  in  the 
taking  of  a  three-pound  speckled  trout  and  the  shooting 
of  two  wood-ducks  by  the  Scribe.  The  taking  of  this 
beautiful  fish  came  near  causing  us  serious  trouble,  in  con- 
sequence of  its  having  been  reported  to  the  fish-warden, 
who  followed  us  several  miles  down  the  lake  to  a  new 
camp,  where  he  was  persuaded  by  the  cautious,  able,  and 
accomplished  ambassador,  the  Governor,  to  compromise 
the  whole  case,  thus  possibly  avoiding  international  com- 
plications. It  was  an  undeniable  fact  that  the  fish  had  been 
caught  on  Sunday,  in  violation  of  the  Canadian  laws.  This 
law  makes  no  allowance  in  favor  of  the  hungry  foreign 
sportsman.  There  was  shot,  by  Esculapius,  during  the 
same  day  a  ruffed  grouse,  which  had  come  into  our  camp 
apparently  for  the  purpose  of  taking  a  survey  of  camp- 
luggage,  etc.  I  am  not  absolutely  certain  that  this  feat 
was  performed  by  Esculapius ;  the  Governor  may  possibly 
have  had  some  hand  in  it,  but  I  believe  that  Esculapius 
claimed  the  honor.  Sunday  night  was  spent  by  the  whole 
party  in  the  same  manner  as  Saturday  night.  We  again 
attempted  to  sleep  on  the  hay ;  the  guides  again  visited 
their  fair  hostess,  and  returned  to  us  at  a  late  hour  ap- 
parently very  happy.  The  next  morning  we  were  stirring 
early, — had  been  promised  by  Chief  John  that  he  would 
this  day  lead  us  into  the  sportsman's  paradise.  In  answer 
to  our  inquiries  he  said,  "  This  promised  land  is  situated 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


35 


only  about  six  miles  from  here,  and  there  you  will  find  an 
abundance  of  deer,  fowl,  and  trout."  The  Governor,  who 
is  an  expert  fisherman,  throws  the  fly  most  skilfully,  and 
at  the  same  time  with  charming  grace,  was  highly  delighted 
with  the  glowing  description  to  which  he  had  listened,  and, 
therefore,  took  his  departure  from  the  barn  in  anticipation 
of  rhe  great  pleasure  just  about  to  be  realized.  The 
morning  meal  had  been  made  ready  and  ample  justice 
done  to  the  viands  placed  before  us.  The  luggage  be- 
longing to  the  party  was  closely  packed  and  stowed  away 
in  the  canoes.  The  chief  had  taken  the  Governor  into  his 
canoe  for  the  trip  down  the  lake,  Frank  had  charge  of 
Escu'apius,  and  Jim  paddled  for  the  Scribe.  This  arrange- 
ment, I  think,  had  been  effected  by  the  chief  guide,  vho 
probably  thought  it  necessary  that  he  should  now  impress 
the  Governor  with  his  own  importance  and  skill  in  order 
that  the  leader  of  our  hunting-party  might  be  made  a  firm 
supporter  of  all  his  plans.  This  arrangement  for  our 
journey  afforded  the  Scribe  an  opportunity  to  question  our 
colored  guide  in  regard  to  the  best  localities  on  the  lake 
for  fishing  and  hunting.  He  had  previously  observed  that 
Jim  was  not  well  at  ease  while  John  was  describing  the 
advantages  for  sport  of  the  spot  towards  which  we  were 
now  steering  our  frail  barks.  Jim  approached  the  subject 
with,  apparendy,  a  full  appreciation  of  the  duty  which  he 
owed  to  our  party  and  likewise  to  his  superior,  John.  He 
had  allowed  a  few  careless  remarks  to  fall  from  his  lips 
while  standing  about  our  camp-fire.  I  now  plied  him  with 
questions,  which  he  finally  answered  with  frankness.  He 
said,  in  substance,  "  You  will  find  no  game  of  any  sort  that 


M 


Til 


n 


36 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


Pir':ii 


yiii'i'ift: 


you  will  be  willing  to  shoot  or  hook  anywhere  near  the 
point  to  which  he  is  conducting  you."  I  then  asked,  *'  Wiiat 
object  has  John  in  deceiving  us  in  this  matter?"  The  reply 
was  given  after  a  little  hesitation,  but  without  any  marked 
effort  at  evasion.  I  cannot  attempt  to  recall  Jim's  words, 
but  they  were,  in  effect,  as  follows  :  "John  is  a  widower;  he 
lost  his  first  wife  some  years  ago  ;  he  wishes  to  remarry, 
and  is  courting  a  girl  who  lives  with  her  parents  in  the 
bush  about  one  mile  from  the  unoccupied  shanty  to  which 
he  is  now  conducting  you.  He  v/ishes  to  spend  much  of 
his  time  in  the  company  of  this  girl.  He  thinks  you  are 
green,  and  that  he  can  fool  you  into  staying  there  while  he 
is  courting  at  your  expense.  I  would  like  to  see  you  have 
good  sport,  but  you  will  find  none  there."  This  statement 
was  made  with  a  certain  degree  of  confidence  to  me,  and 
I  quickly  determined  to  make  no  use  of  it  at  present,  but 
to  wait  until  it  had  been  verified  by  our  own  experience. 
Onlv  a  few  days  at  most  would  be  required  for  this  pur- 
pose. 

Our  canoe  was  now  passing  the  mouth  of  Watte's 
Creek.  Jim  remarked  to  me  that  this  creek  aiiorded  the 
best  trout-fishing  on  the  lake.  "  I  am  not  a  professional 
guide,"  he  said,  "  but  am  acquainted  with  every  person  living 
on  this  lake ;  have  worked  as  a  wood-chopper  a  great  deal 
about  here  ;  all  these  people  fish  and  hunt  more  or  less,  and 
I  have  frequently  fished  and  hunted  with  them."  I  inquired 
still  further  about  Watte's  Creek  as  a  fishing  locality.  Jim 
said  he  thought  there  might  be  some  ducks  and  pigeons  in 
that  vicinity,  likewise  adding  that  he  would  like  to  remain 
there  one  day  with  me  ;  thought  I  might  kill  a  considerable 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


37 


number  of  ducks  if  I  could  shoot  them  on  the  wing.  I 
preferred,  however,  to  continue  on  in  company  with  tiie 
Governor  and  Escuiapius,  thinking  that  I  might  now  be 
of  some  service  to  them,  and  was  determined  that  neither 
John  nor  the  girl  in  the  bush  should  prevent  us  from  se- 
curing some  sport  on  the  lake.  In  due  time  we  reached 
the  lake-shore  in  front  of  the  shanty  in  which  John's  inamo- 
rata resided ;  the  canoes  were  soon  drawn  on  the  dry  land, 
and  the  chief  proudly  led  us  into  the  log  structure  which 
contained  the  fair  damsel  whose  magnetic  influence  over 
our  guide  seemed  to  betoken  nothing  but  disappointment 
anO  vexation  for  us.  The  maiden's  mother  was  at  this 
moment  the  only  occupant  of  the  little  room  to  wh'ch  John 
had  conducted  us.  She  received  us  kindly,  invited  us  to 
be  seated,  and  we  all  complied  with  this  invitation,  includ- 
ing even  our  guides,  with  the  exception  of  our  wily  chief, 
who  left  the  room  in  search  of  his  fair  lady,  whom  he 
unquestionably  soon  discovered,  guided  by  that  unerring 
influence  that  we  have  already  mentioned.  It  was  now 
about  two  o'clock;  we  partook  of  a  lunch  in  this  shanty, 
the  hostess  contributing  to  it  bread  and  milk;  our  party 
were  now  refreshed  and  ready  for  new  triumphs.  The 
Governor  asked  to  be  conducted  to  the  fishinL; -grounds. 
Frank  was  directed  to  accompany  him,  John  having  given 
his  brother  the  necessary  instructions  for  finding  the  place. 

The  Governor  has  made  a  selection  of  flies  for  use 
this  afternoon  from  the  book  in  which  he  carries  a  large 
supply.  He  has  likewise  examined  his  beautiful  rod, 
and  finally  declared  himself  fully  prepared  for  pleasure. 
His  face   is   wreathed   in   a   pleasant   smile,   his   heart   is 


m 


M 


38 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


beating-  joyously  in  anticipation  of  cominjif  events.  He  has 
started  for  the  famous  trout  stream  so  vividly  described  to 
him  by  John  as  one  of  the  tributaries  of  this  lake.  Escu- 
lapius  and  the  Scribe  now  hold  a  brief  consultation  with 
John  for  the  puq)ose  of  determining  what  shall  be  done 
by  the  rest  of  the  party  during  the  afternoon.  John  thinks 
it  would  be  just  as  well  to  rest  until  morning  and  then  take 
a  fresh  start.  This  did  not  ;"uit  the  party,  and  it  was  finally 
proposed  that  Jim  should  take  the  luggage  in  a  canoe,  go 
to  the  unoccupied  shanty,  situated  about  a  mile  from  this 
point,  and  prepare  the  same  for  our  occupation.  Neither 
the  Governor  nor  Esculapius  are  yet  willing  to  f^  ">  under 
canvas  if  it  can  be  avoided.  Jim  is  promptly  _..  lOr  the 
performance  of  the  duty  assigned  to  him,  John  is  to  guide 
Esculapius  and  the  Scribe  through  the  woods  in  search  of 
partridge.  We  have  selected  our  shells,  donned  our  hunt- 
ing-coats, and  with  our  guns  in  hand  are  ready  to  be  off 
at  the  word  from  John,  who  left  us  only  a  few  moments 
ago,  possibly  to  give  a  parting  salute  to  the  magnet  which 
now  controlled  him.  After  an  absence  of  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes  he  returned  to  us  and  declared  his  readiness  to 
lead  us.  We  started  into  the  woods,  he  leading  at  a  very 
rapid  pace,  while  we  followed  as  rapidly  as  possible.  It 
required  only  a  few  moments  for  him  to  distance  us.  We 
called  to  him  to  wait ;  he  halted,  but  only  permitted  us  to 
approach  within  easy  speaking  distance  before  he  was  off 
again,  this  time  on  a  slow  trot.  We  called  to  him  once 
more;  this  time  he  allowed  us  to  approach  somewhat  nearer 
to  him,  but  showed  much  uneasiness ;  was  apparently  just 
ready  to  be  off  again  when  we  checked  these  indications 


ill! 


1 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


39 


by  a  united  request  for  a  rest.  We  now  took  seats  on  a 
loLj ;  were  bathed  in  perspiration  and  blowing  like  a  wind- 
broken  horse.  We  ventured  to  remonstrate  with  Iiim  for 
travelling  so  rapidly ;  suggested  that  he  had  kept  so  far 
ahead  of  us  that  had  he  discovered  game,  as  he  was  not 
provided  with  a  gun,  the  birds  would  in  all  probability  have 
escaped  before  a  shot  could  be  fired.  He  told  us  that  he 
was  a  very  fast  traveller ;  was  not  walking  this  afternoon 
as  rapidly  as  usual,  but  would  try  to  moderate  his  pace  to 
suit  us.  We  soon  started  again  ;  he  travelled  now  faster 
than  before.  We  walked  and  r  .1  in  our  efforts  to  keep  up 
to  him,  but  found  it  impossible.  This  chase  was  continued 
about  three  hours,  when  we  halted  in  front  of  the  log  cabin 
which  he  intended  we  should  occupy  during  the  night. 
This  tramp  was  one  long  to  be  remembered,  and  suffi- 
ciently severe  to  deter  any  one  from  entering  the  woods 
for  the  purpose  of  hunting,  if  he  believed  such  exercise  was 
required,  but  we  knew  it  to  be  unnecessary  and  inconsistent 
with  any  success.  The  Governor  arrived  in  front  of  the 
cabin  a  few  moments  after  we  reached  it.  His  face  was 
bathed  in  perspiration,  almost  livid  with  rage,  and  he  di- 
rected his  eyes  towards  John,  who  had  just  seated  himself 
on  a  log  near  the  cabin  door.  John  probably  felt  the  force 
of  this  piercing  look,  as  he  meekly  inquired,  "  Did  you  find 
the  stream  which  I  described  to  you  ?"  We  found  the  dry 
bed  of  a  mountsin  stream,  but  I  don't  believe  there  ever 
was  water  enough  in  it  to  cover  a  three-pound  trout,  except 
dunng  the  early  spring  when  the  snow  is  melting.  Our 
whole  party  was  tired,  disappointed,  and  disgusted  with  the 
conduct  of  John.     The  colored  guide,  Jim,  had  opened  the 


'.i|!' 


M 


:f5 


1     |! 


n  1 


40 


T//£:  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


lit 


!' 


door  of  the  cabin  and  found  it  contained  a  large  quantity 
of  odoriferous,  mouldering  hay,  which  had  been  left  be- 
hind by  the  last  occupants,  who  had  vacated  it  about  nine 
months  before  our  arrival.  The  entire  cabin  consisted  of 
a  single  room,  which  was  probably  about  twelve  feet  square 
and  lighted  by  a  single  pane  of  glass.  This  diminutive 
window  could  not  be  readily  opened  or  removed.  It  was 
still  closed  when  Esculapius,  who  had  entered  the  room, 
quickly  retired,  declaring  that  the  stench  arising  from  the 
decomposition  was  unendurable. 

He  directed  that  the  hay  should  be  removed,  the  small 
window  forced  open ;  all  of  which  was  promptly  done  by 
Jim  and  Frank,  while  John  was  resting  on  the  log,  where 
he  had  seated  himself  on  his  arrival  before  the  cabin.  Let 
it  suffice  to  say  that  after  improving  the  atmospheric  con- 
dition of  the  cabin  as  much  as  practicable,  the  Governor 
and  Esculapius  determined  to  occupy  it  as  their  sleeping- 
apartment  during  the  night,  while  the  Scribe  preferred  to 
remain  outside,  sleeping  on  the  ground  with  no  other  pro- 
tection than  that  afforded  by  the  pure  air  and  a  cloudless 
sky.  The  guides  had  withdrawn  from  us  during  the  early 
part  of  the  evening,  returning  to  the  cabin  containing 
John's  enchantress. 


ii, 


.3 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


CHAPTER  III. 


^mm    n 


Grand  Fishing  Excursion — Watte's  Creek  visited  bv  the  Governor  and 
EscuLAPius — Their  Return  and  Reception  at  Camp — Grand  Dker-Hunt, 
LED  BY  Dr.  Pokornev — Chief  John  and  his  Assistants  are  relieved  from 
Duty  and  go  to  the  Rear  in  Disgrace — Dr.  Pokorney  and  other  As- 
sistants. ■''■:•  '."/  '""      -   "] 


y^.: 


r>*t- 


'  /  T  was   about   four   o'clock  in    the   morning 


,'/'      when    the    Governor    emerged    from    his 
unsavory    sleeping-apartment   with  a  hag- 
gard face  and    despondent   heart.      I    had 
slept   soundly  durmg  the  greater  part  of 
the  night ;  was   now  greatly  refreshed  and  ready 
to  engage  with  him  in  conversation.     The  Gov- 
ernor,  when   he   discovered   that   I   was   awake, 
remarked,  "  I  have  never  spent  a  more  miserable 
night ;  the  atmosphere  of  the  cabin  is  stifling.     I 
am  sick  this  morning.     I  think  we  had  better 
start  for  hom.e ;    I  have  had  enough  of  this 
sort  of  sport."      I  then  revep^ed  to  him  the 
fact  that  had  been  confided  to  me  by  Jim.     I 
spoke  to  him  of  the  fine  trout-fishing  which 
could  be  had  in  Watte's  Creek.     He  seemed, 
at   first,  somewhat   incredulous  in  regard  to 
^i''"'*^^^^!^     ^^^  statements  made  to  me  on  the  previous 
'"^^i^^S^^'^^  day  by  Jim,  but  finally  the  real   motives 


w 


it 


Bii    •' 


42 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


I  I 


controlling  the  acts  of  the  chief  guide  became  apparent  to 
him.  I  had  suggested  that  the  Governor  and  Esculapius, 
with  Jim  and  Frank,  start  immediately  for  Watte's  Creek; 
that  I  remain  behind  with  John  ;  that  during  the  absence 
of  my  friends  I  would,  with  the  assistance  of  John,  put  up 
the  tent,  make  all  necessary  arrangements  for  their  com- 
fort and  a  deer-hunt,  which  should  follow  promptly  after 
their  return.  It  required  considerable  urging  on  my  part 
to  bring  this  part  of  my  programme  into  force,  but  soon 
after  daylight  Esculapius  came  from  the  cabin ;  he  too 
was  sick, — was  discouraged,  but  when  I  had  explained 
our  present  intentions,  and  all  the  facts  connected  with 
the  same,  he  readily  consented  to  its  adoption.  In  the 
mean  time  the  guides  having  arrived,  breakfast  has  been 
eaten,  the  Governor  and  Esculapius,  with  the  guides,  Jim 
and  Frank,  are  off  for  the  fishing-ground.  John  remains 
behind  with  me.  He  seems  tired,  is  ill-natured ;  declares 
that  neither  the  Governor  nor  Esculapius  will  find  any 
sport  at  Watte's  Creek. 

It  was  after  considerable  urging  that  I  succeeded  in 
getting  him  to  take  hold  with  me  and  put  up  the  tent ;  but 
this  was  finally  accomplished,  and  then  the  balsam  boughs 
were  arranged  in  true  Adirondack  style.  The  bed  and 
tent  were  all  that  a  sportsman  could  wish.  I  once  more 
requested  John  to  lead  me  in  the  woods.  He  was  a  little 
slow  in  getting  off  and  very  slow  after  he  had  got  off. 
During  a  short  ramble  in  the  woods  to-day  I  shot  a  par- 
tridge and  a  very  large  porcupine.  The  following  night  I 
was  alone  in  camp, — John  had  gone  to  the  same  cabin 
.  where  he  had  spent  the  last  night,  and  was  not  seen  again 


l!  ': 


..  '*    i 


O/i,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


43 


until  the  next  morning.  The  night  was  passed  in  refresh- 
ing slumber ;  the  weather  had  been  delightful  since  we  left 
Brecebridge, — no  rain.  The  following  day  was  spent  about 
camp.  John  now  admitted  to  me  that  his  hound  was 
worthless  and  would  not  run  deer.  Jim  had  previously 
informed  me  that  there  was  an  excellent  deer-hunter  living 
on  the  lake-shore,  about  three  miles  from  our  camp.  He 
also  said  that  this  man  owned  an  excellent  deer-hound  and 
would  be  very  glad  to  give  us  some  sport.  Soon  after 
John  entered  the  camp  I  engaged  him  in  a  conversation 
relating  to  our  proposed  deer-hunt.  He  was  not  so  ill- 
natured  this  morning  as  he  had  been  during  the  past  two 
days,  and  said,  frankly,  "  My  dog  is  worthless ;  we  can't 
hunt  deer  without  a  good  dog.  I  know  of  only  one  about 
this  lake,  and  that  is  owned  by  an  old  Polander,  who  lives 
three  miles  from  here."  I  then  asked,  "  Can  you  not  hire 
this  dog  a  few  days  ?"  John  replied,  "  No  ;  the  old  doctor 
is  very  poor,  has  a  large  family,  and  supports  them  by 
hunting ;  the  dog  is  so  necessary  to  him  that  he  will  not 
allow  it  to  go  out  of  his  sight ;  but  he  is  friendly  with  me, 
and  I  think  he  will  join  us  in  a  deer-hunt  if  we  give  him 
about  three  dollars  a  day.  This  would  secure  for  us  the 
use  of  the  best  deer-hound  on  this  lake."  I  replied,  "  Let 
us  employ  him  immediately."  This  conversation  occurred 
while  John  was  busied  with  the  preparation  for  breakfast, 
and  when  the  meal  had  been  eaten  and  the  odd  jobs  about 
the  camp  performed  to  my  satisfaction  I  urged  John  to  go 
in  search  of  the  old  deer-hunter.  Dr.  Pokorney,  and  bring 
him  to  me.  John  was  now  perfectly  willing  to  aid  me  in 
arranging   for   a   deer-hunt ;    he   was    evidendy    in    better 


Hi 


ll'l 


I     1  \\ 


M 


I'  )1 

71 


sssa 


44 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


•  t 


■il 


spirits  that  morning  than  he  had  been  at  any  time  since 
we  left  the  camp  near  the  barn.  The  attempt  to  deceive 
us  and  bring  us  into  quiet  subjection  had  completely  failed. 
He  fully  realized  at  this  moment  that  his  original  plan  had 
completely  miscarried,  and  had  recovered  from  the  shock 
arising  from  this  disappointment.  I  walked  to  the  lake 
with  John  when  he  started  out  to  find  Dr.  Pokorney. 

He  placed  the  litde  bark  in  the  water,  stepped  Ughdy 
into  it,  assumed  a  position  on  his  knees, — the  one  which 
is  always  taken  by  the  Indian  or  backwoodsman  who  is  to 
paddle  the  canoe, — and  was  off  with  a  light  heart.  After 
an  absence  of  three  or  four  hours  he  returned  to  me  with 
the  joyful  intelligence  that  the  old  deer-hunter  would  be 
with  us  in  our  camp  within  a  few  hours.  He  had  found 
him  at  his  cabin,  busied  in  stopping,  with  wood  and  mud, 
the  holes  existing  between  the  logs,  which,  in  the  summer, 
were  not  objectionable,  but  which  must  be  carefully  closed 
before  the  approach  of  the  cold  Canadian  winter.  In 
accordance  with  the  promise  which  the  deer-hunter  had 
made  to  John,  he  was  in  our  camp  before  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  The  object  which  had  prompted  me  to  seek 
this  interview  was  immediately  stated  to  him.  He  replied, 
"  I  am  entirely  at  your  service."  I  then  informed  him  that 
I  had  two  companions  who  were  now  temporarily  absent, 
but  who,  I  thought,  would  rejoin  me  in  the  evening  and  be 
ready  to  participate  with  us  in  the  hunt  the  next  day.  He 
said,  "  I  learned  these  facts  from  John  to-day,  and  I  will  be 
here  to-morrow  morning  at  six  o'clock  to  start  the  hunt." 

The  intelligence  shown  by  Dr.  Pokorney  in  this  conver- 
sation had  greatly  surprised  me.     John  had  spoken  of  him 


ORy  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


as  "a  doctor,"  but  I  had  only  thought  of  him  in  connection 
with  this  title  as  an  ignorant  quack,  I  now  found  myself  in 
the  presence  of  a  well-educated  gendeman,  who  was  also 
evidently  familiar  with  the  rules  governing  polite  society. 
He  conversed  with  me  in  the  English  language,  but  I  soon 
learned  that  he  could  also  speak  both  German  and  French. 
You  can,  therefore,  well  imagine  my  surprise :  here  was 
a  gentleman  possessed  of  an  excellent  education — a  pro- 
fessional man — living  in  a  cold,  rocky,  sterile  country,  with 
no  congenial  associates,  while  the  few  other  settlers  on  this 
lake  could  only  be  classed  with  ignorant  adventurers,  some 
of  whom  freely  admitted  that  they  left  the  front  in  order 
to  avoid  confinement  in  prisons.  The  doctor  seemed  to 
be  about  fifty  years  of  age,  was  thinly  clad,  stooped  con- 
siderably, while  his  shoulders  drooped,  and  there  were 
likewise  observed  other  evidences  of  continued  hardships 
and  scanty  nourishment.  He  was  tall  and  gaunt,  stood, 
probably,  about  six  feet  in  his  boots,  sunken  gray  eyes, 
heavy  eyebrows,  light  complexion,  iron -gray  hair,  and 
heavy  moustache.  The  mystery  of  the  man's  life  is  still 
unknown  to  me.  He  was  certainly  an  enthusiastic  hunter, 
and  may  he  not  have  parted  with  the  pleasures  of  civilija- 
tion  for  the  purpose  of  enjoying  the  wild  pleasures  of  the 
forest  ?  I  cannot  answer  this  question.  We  found  him 
there  on  the  "Free  Grant  Lands,"  working  hard  to  support 
a  large  family,  scarcely  able  to  put  bread  in  their  mouths, 
staggering  under  the  heavy  burden  imposed  on  him,  and 
with  very  little  hope  for  a  better  condition  on  earth. 

The  first  meeting  with  Dr.  Pokorney  was  a  great  sur- 
prise to  me.     It  is  true,  I  had  expected  to  meet  this  well- 


H!| 


il  ■  IJ 


-i  ■  ^A 


^^mmm 


■f^l'l,,, 


rl 


46 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


known  deer-hunter,  but  I  had  not  expected  to  meet  such 
a  man.  He  remained  with  me  in  camp,  I  think,  about  two 
or  three  hours,  and  then  returned  to  the  place  that  he 
called  home.  The  Governor  and  Esculapius,  in  accordance 
with  my  expectations,  returned  to  our  camp  this  evening. 
The  tent  is  now  in  perfect  order;  the  fragrant  balsamic 
odor  which  pervades  it  proclaims  the  presence  of  a  couch 
worthy  to  receive  the  body  of  a  king.  The  camp-fire 
burned  brighdy  "  few  feet  in  front  of  it  and  lighted  up 
everything  about  it.  The  necessary  amount  of  wood  has 
been  gathered  in  and  piled  near  at  hand,  so  that  this  beau- 
tiful fire,  which  is  the  charming  source  of  light,  may  be 
continued  all  night  if  desired  by  the  campers.  Our  camp 
is  situated  near  the  lake-shore.  It  was  about  nine  o'clock 
when  we  heard  the  merry  sound  of  approaching  voices. 
Listen  one  moment:  Jim  is  singing,  and  that  sounds  like 
the  Governor's  happy  laugh.  Esculapius  has  discovered 
our  camp-fire ;  hear  his  joyful  shout,  "  Hallo  ther  !" 
Both  John  and  I  are  on  our  feet,  peering  out  on  the  Lke, 
— it  is  a  calm  night ;  it  is  moonlight, — we  can  barely  make 
out  in  the  distance  the  two  little  canoes  which  are  ap- 
proaching our  camp.  We  shout  back  to  our  friends;  shout 
answers  shout ;  and  they  quickly  touch  the  shore  at  our 
feet.  Behold  the  beautiful  sight:  there  lay  in  the  bottom 
of  these  canoes  not  less  than  forty  speckled  beauties,  not 
one  of  which  weighed  less  than  one  pound,  and  many 
weighed  four.  We  greeted  each  other  with  a  hearty  hand- 
shaking. The  Governor  recounted  to  me  the  same  even- 
ing the  pleasures  of  this  trip,  and  I  now  participated  with 
him  in  the  enjoyment  he  had  felt  while  catching  these  fish. 


hmt^ 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


47 


He  is  an  enthusiastic  fisherman,  but:  cares  little  for  shoot- 
ing. Ecculapius  seemed  to  be  perfectly  satisfied  with  the 
part  which  he  had  taken  in  this  little  excursion ;  admitted 
that  he  had  fired  a  great  number  of  shots  at  ducks  and 
pigeons,  but  showed  us  no  game. 

The  tent  now  presented  to  the  Governor  and  Escu- 
lapius  an  attractive  appearance,  and  they  entered  it  without 
uttering  a  single  demurrer.  We  all  slept  soundly  under 
the  canvas,  inhaled  the  pure  atmosphere  of  the  forest,  and 
awoke  early  in  the  morning  with  renewed  energies  and 
pleasant  forebodings  for  the  day. 

The  deer-hunter,  Dr.  Pokorney,  reached  our  camp 
about  six  o'clock  that  morning;  was  immediately  introduced 
to  the  Governor  and  Esculapius.  He  seemed  this  morn- 
ing to  be  in  excellent  spirits.  The  Governor  exhibited  to 
him  some  of  the  speckled  beauties  with  much  apparent 
satisfaction. 

The  guides  soon  announced  that  breakfast  was  ready^ 
and  it  did  not  take  many  minutes  for  our  whole  party  to 
arrange  themselves  in  a  semicircle  on  the  ground  around 
the  spot  where  it  had  been  decided  to  place  the  meal.  A 
rubber  poncho  had  been  placed  on  the  ground,  and  it  was 
on  this  small  blanket  that  the  cups  containing  the  smoking 
hot  coffee  and  the  plates  laden  with  the  fried  fish  and  boiled 
potatoes  "were  placed. 

The  whole  party,  including  Dr.  Pokorney,  ate  heartily, 
and  every  one,  including  John,  seemed  well  pleased.  The 
breakfast  is  ended,  and  the  Governor,  who  is  provided  with 
pipes  and  tobacco,  brings  out  his  entire  stock.  There  is 
now  placed   before  our   new-made   friend.   Dr.   Pokorney, 


\\ 


48 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


Swallowing  fish  and  fish-stories. 


at  least  a  half-dozen  fresh  brier-wood  pipes  and  several 
pounds  of  tobacco.  He  is  invited  to  make  a  selection  and 
proceed  to  the  next  order  of  business,  which  is  smoking. 
He,  being  able  to  decide  with  promptness  on  all  such  mat- 
ters, was  soon  afterwards  seen  in  the  full  enjoyment  of 
his  pipe.  Esculapius  had  followed  suit,  but  the  Scribe  was 
so  unfortunate  as  to  be  unable  to  join  them  in  this  pleasant 
pastime.  The  Governor  having  supplied  the  wants  of  the 
party,  now  drew  from  an  inside  pocket  of  his  coat  a  case 
containing  a  beautifully  colored  meerschaum  pipe,  which  he 
leisurely  proceeded  to  fill,  and  afterwards  quietly  smoked. 

A  heavy  white  frost  covered  every  bush  and  exposed 
surfac^i  of  earth  or  rock.     However,  there  is  only  a  light 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


49 


breeze,  and,  therefore,  the  lake  is  comparatively  smooth. 
It  is  a  grand  morning  for  a  deer-hunt:  the  bucks  are 
moving  in  such  weather  at  this  season  of  the  year.  It 
was  nearly  nine  o'clock  before  our  party  was  ready  to 
embark  in  their  canoes  for  that  portion  of  the  lake  where 
it  had  been  decided  that  the  deer-hunt  should  take  place. 
The  locality  of  the  hunt  had  been  chosen  by  Dr.  Pokor- 
ney,  although  some  suggestions  had  been  made  by  John. 
These  suggestions  had  been  entirely  ignored  by  the  old 
deer-hunter,  who  did  not  seem  to  think  them  worthy  of 
his  consideration.  He,  however,  did  inform  us  that  the 
Iccality  was  chosen  with  due  regard  to  the  wind  and  other 
factors  involved  in  the  practical  solution  of  the  question. 
When  we  started  from  the  shore  in  front  of  oir  camp 
Dr.  Pokorney  was  in  his  own  canoe,  accompanied  by  his 
deer-hound ;  the  Governor  followed  in  a  canoe  with  John ; 
Esculapius  was  accompanied  by  Jim,  while  Frank  was 
paddling  for  me.  These  old,  leaky  canoes,  which  I  have 
previously  described,  have  been  somewhat  improved,  it  is 
true,  by  the  pitch  that  has  been  employed  to  stop  the 
leaks,  but  we  are  still  compelled  to  use,  very  frequently, 
the  dishes  to  keep  the  water  to  a  point  consistent  with  our 
own  safety,  while  we  are  still  obliged  to  sit  in  a  cold-water 
bath.  I  have  observed  that  Dr.  Pokorney's  birch-bark 
canoe  is  nearly  new  and  does  not  leak,  while  by  a  graceful 
and  apparently  easy  use  of  the  paddle  it  shoots  over  the 
water  with  great  rapidity.  The  comparison  of  the  old 
hunter's  canoe  with  those  which  John  has  supplied  for  our 
use  is  not  well  calculated  to  make  us  feel  contented  while 
quietly  seated   in   cold  water.      Let   us,  however,  dismiss 

4 


a 


^     .,t 


;  ('!',' 


\  \  'li 


t  I' 


mm 


50 


TJIE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE: 


from  our  minds,  for  the  present,  these  unpleasant  thoughts, 
and  again  resume  the  details  of  the  deer-hunt.  Dr.  Po- 
korney  took  the  lead  in  his  canoe  at  the  start,  and  paddled 
away  from  the  camp  about  three  miles,  having  kept  in 
advance  all  this  time  before  he  stationed  the  Governor  at 
a  run-way  where  it  came  to  the  lake.  The  point  which 
the  Governor  was  to  watch  having  been  selected  by  the 
deer-hunter,  John  immediately  brought  his  canoe  to  the 
shore,  when  both  parties  occupying  it  stepped  to  the  dry 
land,  while  the  guide  promptly  removed  the  water  which 
it  contained.  Dr.  Pokorney  beckoned  to  the  occupants 
of  the  other  canoes  to  follow  him,  which  they  continued  to 
do.  He  now  proceeded  on  about  one-half  mile  farther, 
where  he  stationed  the  Scribe  and  Frank,  and  about  one 
mile  from  them  he  placed  Esculapius  with  the  colored 
guide.  Our  whole  party  were  now  stationed,  and  every- 
thing was  in  readiness  to  start  the  hound  which  was  ex- 
pected to  drive  the  deer  into  the  lake.  This  animal  had 
remained  in  the  canoe  with  its  master  since  we  left  our 
camp  in  the  morning,  and  as  soon  as  our  party  were 
properly  stationed  the  old  deer-hunter  paddled  back  near 
to  the  spot  where  he  had  left  the  Scribe,  in  full  view  of 
whom  he  drew  his  bark  canoe  on  the  shore.  The  doff 
immediately  leaped  from  the  frail  bark  and  began  to  run 
playfully  around  his  master's  feet,  looking  anxiously  up  to 
his  face.  Dr.  Pokorney  spoke  kindly  to  the  animal,  petted 
her  a  moment,  and  then  bade  her  to  bring  a  deer.  She 
started  immediately,  ran  off  a  few  rods  and  then  halted, 
as  if  to  receive  further  instructions,  turned  partially  around, 
and  again  gazed  into  her  master's  face.     He  again  urged 


.'1^ 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


51 


her  on,  and  pointed  at  the  same  time  in  the  direction  which 
h'-  desired  her  to  take.  She  now  leaped  forward  into  the 
woods,  giving  at  the  same  moment  a  single  yelp,  and  was 
lost  to  our  vision.  Nothing  more  was  heard  from  her  until 
after  the  lapse  of  nearly  an  hour,  when  we  again  faintly 
heard  the  music  of  her  voice.  Nearer,  still  nearer,  are 
these  sounds;  clearer,  still  clearer,  are  they  heard  by  us  on 
the  lake.  Listen,  her  voice  is  now  becoming  fainter:  she  is 
fividently  leaving  the  lake ;  the  deer  which  she  is  running 
has  turned  back :  he  is  making  a  circle.  "  Never  mind," 
remarked  the  old  hunter,  "she  will  run  him  so  sharply  that 
he  will  certainly  come  to  water ;  you  will  hear  her  voice 
again  soon."  Scarcely  half  an  hour  had  elapsed  when 
we  again  heard  her  voice  ;  faint  at  first,  but  more  and  more 
and  more  distinct  every  succeeding  moment.  Onward  she 
steadily  went ;  she  was  almost  at  the  lake.  A  splash  was 
heard  on  our  right,  a  few  seconds  later  one  was  heard  on 
our  left ;  Frank  whispered,  "  Take  your  place  in  the  canoe." 
He  pushed  the  little  bark  from  the  sand  to  the  water,  and 
I  promptly  seated  myself  in  the  bow.  Frank  paddled 
noiselessly  out  into  the  lake,  while  we  scanned  the  water 
both  to  the  right  and  left.  After  the  lapse  of  a  few  mo- 
ments we  discovered  a  buck's  heaci,  which  was  held  above 
the  water  on  our  right.  The  animal  was  swimming  away 
from  the  shore  and  towards  the  middle  of  the  lake.  He 
had  not  yet  discovered  us,  and  we  desired  to  place  our 
canoe  between  the  swimming  deer  and  the  lake-shore  in 
order  to  prevent  him  from  returning  to  the  woods  before 
we  could  get  sufficiently  near  to  take  a  shot.  Frank  now 
allowed   our   canoe   to   float   quietly ;    the   deer   was   still 


>,,;.([ 


■i 


I 


|i^ 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


\0. 


making  towards  the  centre  of  the  lake.  We  waited 
patiently ;  the  deer  was  now  a  half-mile  from  the  shore 
where  he  had  entered  the  water.  The  lake  at  this  point 
is  about  two  miles  in  width.  We  were  now  ready  for  the 
chase;  we  can  cut  him  off  from  the  shore  where  he 
entered  and  kill  him  before  he  can  cross  the  lake.  Frank 
handed  me  a  spare  paddle  which  he  had  in  readiness  in 
the  canoe.  The  bark  is  headed,  and  we  both  pull  away 
with  all  our  might.  The  deer  has  discovered  us:  behold  his 
frantic  efforts. 

He  has  turned  his  head  towards  the  shore  and  is 
making  his  greatest  efforts  to  avoid  this  new  danger;  he 
has  evaded  the  dog  when  he  reached  the  water,  but  the 
chase  has  been  taken  up  by  a   more  dangerous   enemy. 


m 


"  He  has  evaded  the  dog,  but " 


OR,   THE  LAKE   LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


53 


He  is  now  completely  foiled :  the  canoe  has  come  between 
him  and  the  shore  where  he  entered  ;  he  turns  once  more 
his  head  towards  the  centre  of  the  lake.  He  has  made  his 
last  great  effort;  his  doom  is  sealed.  The  Scribe  has 
dropped  his  paddle  into  the  bottom  of  the  canoe  ^nd  picked 
up  his  gun.  Frank  pulled  steadily  towards  the  deer  and 
gained  rapidly.  A  few  moments  later  a  white  puff  of 
smoke  arose  over  the  canoe ;  the  deer  dropped  his  head 
and  floated  motionless  in  the  water,  while  the  sound  of  the 
discharge  of  the  gun  in  the  hands  of  the  Scribe  echoed 
around  the  lake.  Scarcely  had  the  reverberations  died 
away  when  another  shot  was  heard  on  our  right ;  still 
another:  the  Governor  was  at  work.  He,  too,  had  killed  a 
deer,  while  we  afterwards  learned  that  the  third  had  run 
the  shore  in  front  of  Esculapius,  but  he  was  too  much  sur- 
prised to  even  fire  a  shot  at  this  animal.  The  canoes  now 
came  together  on  the  lake  ;  we  greeted  each  other  warmly  ; 
everybody  was  happy  once  more. 

It  was  now  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  we 
quickly,  decided  to  go  to  our  camp.  The  day  had  been 
passed  very  pleasantly  by  us  and  we  had  been  rewarded 
with  success.  I  have  hunted  very  frequendy  since  that  day, 
but  have  never  seen  three  deer  driven  to  water  by  a  single 
dog  in  a  single  run  since  that  time.  We  continued  to  hunt 
deer  several  days — a  week  or  more — with  Dr.  Pokorney 
and  his  wonderful  dog.  This  animal  continued  to  manifest 
the  same  intelligence;  was  sent  into  the  woods  in  the  same 
manner  each  day  by  her  master,  and  rarely  failed  to  bring 
a  deer  to  the  water.  This  dog  would  probably  not  attract 
much  attention  at  a  bench  show,  although  I  have  never 


Vx 


! 
( 

i 

i; 

[1,.  ■     ; 

'    ■'.'     ;. 

i 

54 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S   PARADISE; 


seen  her  equal  in  the  field.  She  was  a  dark  liver-and-white 
female  hound,  called  by  her  master  "  Fan ;"  he  did  not 
know  or  even  care  anything  about  her  pedigree.  This 
grand  animal  was  rather  large  when  compared  with  the 
deer-hounds  that  I  have  been  accustomed  to  see,  and  also 
unusually  long  and  lank ;  possessed  of  pleasant,  sunken 
eyes.  She,  like  her  master,  was  accustomed  to  work,  and 
certainly  was  not  overfed.  Having  reached  our  camp,  the 
deer-huncer  set  to  work  and  quickly  dressed  both  deer, 
which  were  left  hanging  out  of  the  reach  of  the  dogs.  The 
other  guides  gathered  the  wood  and  prepared  the  even- 
ing meal,  which  we  will  designate  as  our  dinner,  inasmuch 
as  we  had  not  partaken  of  food  since  the  early  morning. 
Our  repast  consisted  of  trout,  venison,  coffee,  etc.,  and  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  it  was  thoroughly  enjoyed  by 
our  whole  party.  Having  completed  the  meal,  and  while 
the  Governor,  Esculapius,  and  Dr.  Pokorncy  were  smoking 
their  pipes,  the  question  was  raised,  What  shall  we  do  to- 
morrow ?  Another  deer-hunt  was  finally  determined  on, 
in  which  Dr.  Pokorney  and  his  faithful  dog  Fan  were  to 
participate.  John  now  excused  himself,  and  hastened 
away  to  report  the  day's  proceedings  to  his  inamorata,  while 
the  old  deer-hunter  remained  with  us  until  the  sun  had  dis- 
appeared behind  the  western  hills,  when  he  bade  us  good- 
evening  and  started  for  his  cabin. 

The  next  morning  Dr.  Pokorney  was  with  us  about  six 
o'clock.  John  reached  our  camp  about  the  same  hour.  He 
was  evidently  not  in  the  most  agreeable  frame  of  mind : 
something  must  have  gone  wrong  since  he  parted  from  us 
last  evening.     It  is  now  evident  that  he  intends  to  direct  the 


t 
r 

c 


C( 

dl 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS    OF  CANADA. 


55 


future  mov -inents  of  the  whole  party.  He  has  informed 
Dr.  Pokorney  that  the  hunt  to-day  ought  to  take  place  at  a 
certain  point  on  the  lake ;  they  find  themselves  unable  to 
agree  on  this  subject,  when  the  Governor  came  to  the  aid 
of  the  latter,  and  poor  John  was  thus  left  in  the  minority. 
He  could  not  good-naturedly  endure  all  this,  and  remained 
sullen  during  the  whole  day.  Poor  ufihappy  man  !  What 
is  the  matter  with  you  ?  Are  you  in  love,  and  loved  and 
still  unhappy?  How  are  we  to  explain  your  conduct?  We 
have  carefully  studied  your  case,  and  have  also  pondered 
seriously  the  doctrine  of  the  transmigrations  as  propounded 
by  Pythagoras,  and  ask  now  the  question,  Has  not  the  soul 
of  some  departed  Huron  chief  found  a  temporary  lodgment 
within  the  body  of  this  unhappy  man  ?  But  the  more  we 
studied  the  antics  of  this  curious  fellow  the  more  puzzling 
became  the  solution  of  the  questions.  Chief  John  was  not 
a  lover  of  "  fire-water,"  but  with  this  exception,  his  light, 
quick,  and  elastic  step,  ke^en  sight,  acute  sense  of  hearing, 
extensive  knowledge  of  v/ood-craft,  all  proclaimed  the 
ruling  spirit  of  the  noble  red  man,  and  our  guide  in  his 
own  words  assured  us  that  he  possessed  all  these ;  never- 
theless there  was  something  wonderfully  conflicting  be- 
tween his  words  and  acts.  It  was  during  the  second  day 
of  the  deer-hunt,  led  by  Dr.  Pokorney,  that  the  Governor 
declared,  in  the  presence  of  the  Scribe,  that  inasmuch  as 
"a  house  divided  against  itself  cannot  stand,"  therefore 
John  must  take  his  departure. 

It  was  evident  to  us  that  the  Governor  had  reached  this 
conclusion  after  much  patient  thought ;  but  since  the  con- 
duct of  the  guides  associated  with  him  had  been  entirely 


56 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


satisfactory  to  us,  the  important  question  that  now  arose 
was,  How  shall  they  be  treated  in  this  emergency  ?  The 
Governor  held  an  interview  with  Jim,  explained  to  him  the 
situation,  and  it  was  amicably  arranged  between  them 
that  the  latter  and  also  Frank  should  go  back  with  John 
to  Bracebridge.  In  accordance  with  this  treaty,  John  and 
his  assistants  departed  from  our  camp  the  same  evening. 
It  was  evident  to  all  observers  that  this  difficult  and  em- 
barrassing negotiation  had  been  conducted  with  masterly 
skill  on  the  part  of  our  ambassador,  since  even  John 
seemed  satisfied  and  but  slightly  crestfallen  when  he  parted 
from  us.  Jim  urged  us  to  come  back  into  this  country 
once  more  and  give  him  a  chance  to  act  as  our  chief  guide, 
— a  position  which  we  all  knew  he  would  fill  to  our  entire 
satisfaction,  since  he  had  at  all  times,  while  in  our  service, 
acted  in  good  faith  and  with  a  true  regard  to  our  comforts 
and  best  interests.  Dr.  Pokorney  had  been  consulted  by 
the  Governor  before  he  took  this  decisive  action,  and  had 
informed  the  latter  that  he  could  immediately  supply  the 
required  number  of  assistants  canoes,  etc. ;  in  fact,  two 
colored  men  in  new  birch-bark  canoes  reported  at  our 
camp  within  an  hour  after  John's  departure. 

The  change  was  found  to  be  highly  agreeable.  The 
new  canoes  afforded  us  a  dry,  warm  seat  while  we  were 
on  the  lake,  instead  of  reposing  continually  in  a  cold-water 
bath,  as  we  had  previously  done.  Dr.  Pokorney  now 
brought  into  camp  with  him  his  son  in  addition  to  the 
parties  which  I  have  previously  mentioned.  The  son  re- 
mained in  camp,  took  charge  of  the  fire  and  tent  while  the 
father  and  the  other  guides  were  engaged  with  us  in  the 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


57 


deer-hunting.  We  were  never  left  in  camp  without  at- 
tendants. These  guides  remained  witii  us  night  and  day, 
although  they  were  unprovided  with  tents  or  other  shelter 
than  their  canoes.  I  frequently  saw  them  sit  with  their 
backs  supported  by  trees,  sleeping  soundly  while  their 
clothing  was  thoroughly  drenched  with  water  and  the  rain 
still  pouring  down  on  them.  Their  canoes,  when  turned 
bottom  side  up, — bows  placed  on  a  log  or  rock  so  as  to 
admit  air  and  light, — afforded  them  very  fair  protection 
against  a  storm,  while  the  space  beneath  them  was  ample 
to  enable  them  to  turn  or  move  as  much  as  was  necessary 
during  sleeping  hours. 

The  attendance  in  camp  and  the  guidance  while  in 
search  of  game  was  now  all  that  we  could  wish.  We 
found  Dr.  Pokorney  well  versed  in  deer-hunting,  and  at 
the  same  time  intelligent  and  companionable.  His  son, 
a  lad  of  six  en,  brave  and  hardy,  frequently  amused  me 
by  the  narration  of  hi  exploits  in  the  Canadian  forests  at 
mid-wintci-.  while  engaged  as  a  companion  to  an  old  beaver- 
trapper.  I,  ;  story,  although  not  entirely  new,  was  indeed 
very  interesti  ^.  The  boy  said,  "  It  was  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  month  of  January  that  I  started,  in  company  with 
old  Ben,  to  go  back  into  the  bush  about  seventy-five  miles 
in  order  to  trap  beaver.  The  weather  was  very  cold  and 
the  snow  was  nearly  three  feet  deep,  and  we  were  com- 
pelled to  use  snow-shoes.  The  hardest  part  of  our  work 
consisted  in  carrying  in  our  provisions,  traps,  and  other 
things  required  in  trapping.  When  we  started  from  this 
lake  I  carried  a  pack  which  weighed  about  fifty  pounds. 
The  first  day  out  we  travelled  about  ten  miles,  halted  for 


m 


ini 


if 


58 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


the  night  and  cleared  the  snow  from  a  space  large  enough 
for  the  fire  and  our  bed.  The  required  amount  of  wood 
and  the  balsam  boughs  were  gathered,  the  fire  built  and 
the  bed  arranged,  after  which  we  prepared  and  ate  our 
supper,  and  then  wrapped  ourselves  in  a  woollen  blanket, 
with  which  each  was  provided,  and  lay  down  for  sleep."  I 
inquired  of  the  lad,  "Were  you  able  to  sleep?"  thinking 
the  cold  would  probably  act  as  a  potent  barrier  in  this 
instance.  The  reply  came  promptly  from  the  hardy  lad, 
"  Oh  yes  !  I  slept  very  well,  for  Uncle  Ben  kept  up  a  good 
fire  all  night."  He  then  added,  "The  next  morning,  after 
breakfast,  we  again  shouldered  our  packs  and  pushed  for- 
ward about  six  iniles  into  the  forest,  when  we  marked  the 
spot  and  buried  our  luggage."  In  answer  to  my  inquiry 
he  informed  me  that  they  buried  their  packs,  consisting  of 
provisions  and  traps,  to  keep  other  trappers,  who  might 
chance  to  pass  that  way,  from  appropriating  these  articles 
to  their  own  use,  which  might  otherwise  happen.  The 
hiding  having  been  completed,  the  old  trapper  and  his 
assistant  retraced  their  steps  to  the  log  cabin  from  which 
they  had  originally  started  on  their  journey  to  the  woods. 
Here  they  remained  only  until  the  following  morning,  when 
they  again^  started  with  other  pac'>:s.  This  severe  work  of 
packing  lasted  more  than  two  weeks,  when  they  reached 
the  locality  that  had  been  selected  for  trapping  beaver.  I 
have  avoided  a  repetition  of  his  daily  narrative,  lesi;  it 
might  become  tiresome  to  the  reader,  although  it  was  very 
interesting  to  me  when  minutely  detailed  by  the  junior 
participant.  The  story  as  told  involved  the  daily  doings, 
the   exposures,  hardships,  and    fatigues   of  the   old   back- 


*ni 


OR,   THE   LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


59 


woodsman  and  his  youthful  assistant.  They  were  in  the 
woods  nearly  three  months,  without  the  protection  of  even 
a  canoe,  tent,  or  any  other  shelter,  during  that  portion  of 
the  time  in  which  they  were  engaged  in  transporting 
their  provisions  and  traps  to  the  new  field  of  labor. 
Having  reached  their  destination  they  then  erected  huts, 
which  they  occupied  as  long  as  they  remained. 

Let  us  now  return  to  our  camp-life  on  the  Lake  of  the 
Bays,  from  which  we  have  wandered  so  far  while  speaking 
of  Dr.  Pokorney's  son.  We  have  already  described  the 
deer-hunt  that  occurred  immediately  after  Dr.  Pokorney 
joined  our  party,  and  in  addition  to  this  we  have  incident- 
ally mentioned  the  fact  that  on  the  following  day  we  en- 
gaged again  in  the  same  sport,  which  was  continued  day 
after  day  for  more  than  a  week  with  varying  success, 
after  the  departure  of  John  and  his  assistants.  I  cannot  at 
this  moment  recall  the  number  of  animals  killed,  or  the 
particulars  of  each  chase,  and  even  were  I  able  to  do  so 
it  would  certainly  be  somewhat  monotonous  to  the  reader. 

When  the  time  came  for  us  to  start  homeward,  it  was 
suggested  by  Dr.  Pokorney  that  it  would  be  more  con- 
venient for  us  to  leave  by  the  way  of  Huntsville  than  to 
retrace  our  steps  to  Baysville ;  and  consequently  we 
started  from  this  lake  on  which  we  had  spent  a  very 
pleasant  time  in  the  company  of  our  guides. 

We  were  compelled  to  portage  our  canoes  and  luggage 
from  Lake  of  the  Bays  to  Peninsula  Lake,  but  we  readily 
passed  from  the  latter  by  its  outlet  to  Fairy  Lake  and 
down  this  lake  to  Huntsville,  where  we  parted  with  Dr. 
Pokorney  and  his  colored  assistants. 


si 


6o 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


il 


tr 


We  remained  at  this  frontier  village  only  a  few  hours, 
having  arrived  in  the  afternoon  and  taking  our  departure 
the  following  morning  by  the  old  stage-coach,  which  put 
us  down  in  Bracebridge  the  same  day  about  sunset.  The 
return  to  our  homes  was  made  without  the  occurrence  of 
any  important  events  worthy  of  mention  here. 


'I   '!! 


O/?,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


6l 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Start  and  Incidents  of  the  Journey— Lumbermen  and  their  Drunken 
Orgies— Travelling  by  the  Royal  Mail  Stage  in  Muskoka— The  Party 
atfacked  by  Fleas— Camp  on  Canoe  Lake— Deer-Hunting— Governor 
Starts  for  Home— The  Remainder  of  the  Party  off  for  New  Fields — 
Camp  on  Pickerel  Lake— Rain  and  Fish— Crossing  the  Horka-Porka 
Portage— Camp  on  Rock  Lake — Trout-Fishing— Camp  near  Loon  and 
Grass  Lakes— Camp  on  Sand  Lake— Homeward  Bound. 


EDNESDAY,  13TH.  — Arrived  at  the 
Falls  of  Niagara  at  eight  a.m.,  and  a 
few  moments  later  started  for  Toronto, 
and  reached  that  city  at  one-thirty  p.m. 
Dined,  and  afterwards  saw  a  display  of 
the  fire  department,  given  in  honor  of 
the  magnates  of  Rochester  and  Buffalo, 
S^who  are  paying  a  visit  to  the  exhibition 
that  is  now  being  held  here.  The  force  of  the  water  is  so 
great  that  no  engines  are  necessary ;  the  water,  rushing 
through  the  hose,  ascends  to  the  highest  roof. 

Afterwards  we  strolled  through  the  city,  admiring  the 
beautifully  laid  out  streets  and  the  fine  buildings.  Among 
other  scenes  we  visited  St.  James'  Cathedral, — a  magnifi- 
cent structure, — and  we  ascended  the  spire,  which  is  three 
hundred  and  nineteen  feet  high.  Here  a  perfect  panorama 
lay  at  our  feet ;  a  fine  view  was  obtained,  but  it  was  in 
miniature,  on  account  of  the  great  height.  Yachts  were 
seen   flying  through  the  water ;   vessels  at  anchor ;  steam- 


.iil 


62 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


■M 


ill' 


boats,  of  which  there  was  a  fleet,  dashing  to  and  fro.  A 
little  beyond  was  the  liome  of  the  great  sculler,  who  learned 
to  row  on  the  placid  waters  of  the  lake,  which  is  here 
nearly  land-locked.  At  Toronto  we  procured  camping- 
blankets  and  provisions  which  we  would  require  whilst 
sojourning  in  the  woods.  We  did  not  visit  the  e.xhibition, 
as  we  were  anxious  to  drink  in  the  ozone  of  the  wilderness. 
Thursday,  \\th. — Started  for  Gravenhurst, — had  a  pal- 
ace-car to  ourselves.  The  conductor  was  extremely  polite 
and  attentive,  pointing  out  every  object  of  interest  which 
we  passed  on  the  road.  While  our  time  was  thus  occupied, 
in  the  other  car  were  sixteen  lumbermen  who  were  en- 
gaged to  go  into  the  woods  to  cut  lumber, — men  who  held 
a  continual  drunken  orgy.  The  bottles  of  whiskey  were 
continually  passing  from  mouth  to  mouth.  They  were  the 
most  besotted  set  of  men  it  was  ever  my  lot  to  encounter. 
However,  they  kept  to  themselves  and  troubled  no  one. 
Reached  Gravenhurst, — a  place  consisting  of  a  few  houses, 
— and  immediately  took  a  small  steamboat,  at  half-past  one, 
and  proceeded  to  the  upper  part  of  Lake  Rosseau.  We 
had  dinner  and  supper  on  board,  as  the  boat  did  not  reach 
Rosseau  until  eight  p.m.  Three  of  the  lumbermen  came 
to  the  table,  and  we  had  a  scene  with  one  of  them.  His 
appetite  was  ravenous,  and  plate  after  plate  disappeared 
before  him.  It  made  no  difference  of  what  it  was  com- 
posed. During  dinner  the  steward  called  upon  him  for 
the  price  of  his  meal, — only  forty  cents.  His  reply  was 
that  he  would  have  to  wait  till  he  was  sure  that  he  had 
taken  enough,  and  again  he  attacked  the  eatables.  If  the 
rest  of  the  band  were  only  able  to  come  to  the  table  the 


i( 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


63 


captain  would  not  realize  much  from  that  dinner.  This 
man  did  not  come  to  the  supper-table.  His  appetite  re- 
minded me  of  an  Indian  at  a  feast,  laying  in  a  stock  for 
several  days.  We  stopped  at  Pratt's  Hotel,  newly  gotten 
up  and  finished.  The  proprietor  is  a  Bostonian  ;  he  re- 
fused the  other  party,  who  got  accommodations  a  little 
below.  During  the  night  they  got  up  and  stole  all  the 
whiskey  that  the  landlord  hiid.  Rosseau  is  prettily  situated 
at  the  head  of  the  lake.  The  hotel  occupies  a  prominent 
location.  The  proprietor  informed  us  that  last  summer  it 
was  full  o{  guests  from  Boston  and  its  surroundings.  Mr. 
Pratt  knows  how  to  run  a  hotel,  and  his  charges  are  cer- 
tainly reasonable,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  fcr  bed  and 
breakfast  he  demands  only  seventy-five  cents.  The  hotel 
has  since  burned  down ;  the  capacity  at  that  time  being 
about  one  hundred  guests. 

We  made  arrangements  with  the  driver  of  the  mail  to 
take  us  and  our  paraphernalia  to  Maganetawan.  Our 
coach  was  a  large  farm-wagon  without  a  cover  and  minus 
springs.  It  was  pleasanter  without  the  first,  and  we  were 
on  the  road  but  a  short  time  when  we  discovered  why  it 
was  without  the  second.  The  road,  if  such  it  could  be 
called,  was  so  stony  that  no  springs  could  stand  the  jour- 
ney without  being  demolished.  After  an  early  breakfast 
the  wagon  drove  up  to  the  door,  and  one  of  our  party 
opened  his  eyes  at  the  prodigious  turnout.  He  said  that 
he  would  prefer  a  spring-wagon  ;  so  would  we,  but  there 
was  no  alternative.  Thirty-five  miles  had  to  be  travelled 
before  we  reached  our  destination.  We  took  our  guns 
and  rods,  and  the  driver  then  informed  us  that  with  our- 


-  m 


'f  -'i  iiS;  $, 


\ 


'C  \ 


64 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


11 


selves  and  the  other  passen<^ers  the  load  would  be  so 
heavy  that  he  could  not  take  our  provisions,  but  he  would 
send  them  later.  We  informed  him  that  he  must  take  the 
luj^gage  or  not  take  us,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  dilly-dally- 
ing he  loaded  up,  and  we  proceeded.  To  describe  the  ride 
in  that  Royal  mail-coach  is  impossible  ;  hardly  had  we  left 
the  hotel  when  our  misery  commenced.  Our  seat  was  a 
pine  board  with  no  back  to  support  you,  and  nothing  to 
hold  on  to  as  you  were  pitched  from  side  to  side.  Now 
when  we  descend  a  hill  there  is  a  tendency  to  pitch  for- 
ward, and  again  a  sudden  ast.  t  impels  you  to  turn  a 
back-somersault.  Walking  was  far  preferable  to  riding 
in  such  a  conveyance,  especially  as  the  horses  could  not 
move  at  a  faster  gait  than  a  walk. 

We  soon  overtook  two  wagons  carrying  the  lumber- 
men, as  many  of  them  were  unable  to  walk,  although 
some  were  endeavoring  to  do  so ;  and  they  presented  a 
novel  sight,  too,  with  handkerchiefs  tied  about  their  heads 
in  lieu  of  the  hats  they  had  lost  during  their  drunken 
revels.  The  scene  that  one  of  the  wagons  presented  was 
a  disgrace  to  humanity :  one  of  the  number  was  stretched 
out  on  his  back, — hors  de  combat, — while  another  was  pour- 
ing whiskey  down  his  throat,  the  miserable  victim  in  his 
stupor  not  knowing  what  physic  he  was  taking.  We 
passed  this  party,  glad  to  get  rid  of  their  company. 
Arrived  at  Maganetawan  at  seven  p.m.,  every  bone  in  our 
bodies  sore  and  tired.  Never  had  such  experience  in  our 
lives ;  you  pay  well  sometimes  for  your  sport.  That  night 
before  retiring  to  bed  sent  for  a  guide,  and  made  arrange- 
ments with  him. 


OR,   T'lE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


65 


Friday,  \$lh. — This  morning  tlw  Governt  r  anvl  myself 
went  fishing  on  the  river,  but  with  no  hick.  I  vas  so  tired 
last  night  tiiat  I  slept  soundly,  but  my  companions  informed 
me  that  though  they,  too,  were  tired,  sweet  sleep  visited 
them  not.  In  its  place  they  passed  a  restless  night,  troubled 
with  a  multitude  of  lleas,  which  gave  them  no  rest.  In  die 
afternoon  we  went  out  and  caught  bass  and  pickerel  under 
the  guidance  of  a  gamin  called  Johnny  McCarthy,  who  was 
as  sharp  as  a  steel-trap,  and  knew  where  the  fish  were  to  be 
caught.  He  was  the  embryo  sportsman.  We  were  obliged 
to  wait  this  day  for  the  guide,  Captain  George  Ross,  who 
lives  three  miles  from  this  village,  which  consists  of  Scotch 
settlers  and  Canadians.  There  are  two  small  groceries 
and  two  inns,  at  one  of  wnich  (kept  by  Clark)  we  rested. 

During  the  day  we  sent  our  traps  by  stage  to  the  place 
where  we  were  to  camp,  seven  miles  from  Clark's.  The 
day  was  fine,  but  it  rained  during  the  night.  I  was  amused 
that  night  to  hear  the  conversation  of  those  assembled  at 
Clark's.  This,  it  seemed,  was  the  rendezvous  of  the  vil- 
lage. During  the  day  a  woman  had  died,  and  the  village 
carpenter  was  engaged  in  making — I  will  not  call  it  a 
coffin — a  box ;  it  was  original.  The  dead  woman  had 
been  married  a  year;  the  people  seemed  to  mourn  her 
loss,  as  she  was  a  kind  person.  It  Impressed  me  very 
much  to  see  the  sympathy  of  the  neighbors. 

Saturday,  \6th. — Hired  a  wagon  and  started  for  the 
camp.  After  riding  a  distance  we  dismounted  and  took  a 
birch  canoe  on  Canoe  Lake,  and  finally  reached  our  camp. 
The  tent  was  up  and  the  larder  was  furnished  with  a  deer, 
which  the  guide  had  killed  the  day  before,  besides  arrang- 

5 


*l 


66 


THE  SPORTSMAN* S  PARADISE. 


ing  the  cainp.  Wo  partook  to-day,  for  the  first  time,  of  a 
dinner  under  a  tent  in  the  woods.  The  chnnge  from  a  set 
table  with  all  its  conveniences  to  the  camp  with  its  impro- 
vised accommodations  is  a  decided  one,  but  I  think  we  all 
enjoyed  this  dinner,  although  the  Governor  wanted  a 
napkin.  He  was  the  only  one  for  whom  a  cup  and  saucer 
were  procured  in  Toronto;  the  rest  of  the  camp  and  table 
utensils  were  of  tin.  Our  camp  was  delightfully  situated 
about  one  hundred  feet  from  the  lake.  We  were  much 
pleased  with  the  good  taste  exhibited  by  our  guide  in  the 
selection  of  the  spot.  This  afternoon  we  went  out  hunting, 
and  Dr.  W.  was  the  first  to  bring  down  a  deer,  which  he 
killed  a  short  distance  from  the  camp.  This  afternoon  our 
force  was  increased  by  I.  Nelson,  an  old  man,  and  George, 
his  son,  a  young  fellow  about  twenty.  Our  number  is  now 
six  men  all  told.     We  have  two  hounds  and  two  canoes. 

Our  beds  are  composed  of  the  tops  of  firs  placed  on 
Mother  Earth.  The  night  had  its  discomforts  as  well  as 
pleasures ;  unhappily,  we  had  obtained  some  blankets  from 
Clark's,  and  with  them  was  the  inevitable  flea,  which,  like 
the  mosquito,  gives  no  rest.  We  passed  a  miserable  night 
on  account  of  these  pests,  but  propose  to  beat  them  out 
to-morrow.  '  ' 

Sunday. — A  day  of  rest. 

Monday. — Went  fishing  on  the  lake ;  small  trout  and 
chubs  are  the  only  fish  the  lake  contains. 

Tuesday. — The  Governor  and  myself  each  shot  a  deer. 

Wednesday. — Dr.    W.    went    out   with    the    gun    and 
brought  in  some  partridges. 
. .  Thursday. — This    evening   we    were    frightened   when 


'II 


••Tuesday,  the  Goven  or  and  myself  each  shot  a  deer." 


In  iK8f  »i 


i 


68 


T//JS   SPORTSMAN'S   PARADISE; 


Mil    I 


George  set  fire  to  the  frying-pan  in  wliich  he  was  preparing 
to  cook  some  fish.  His  cries  of  "Water!  water!"  aroused 
the  whole  camp.  The  next  episode  was  the  Governor 
being  nearly  frozen  to  death.  He  forgot  in  getting  into 
bed  to  go  between  the  blankets,  and  on  the  dawn  of  day 
he  became  aware  of  his  scanty  covering,  although  we  keep 
up  a  rousing  fire  before  the  tent  all  night.  We  have  im- 
proved our  camp,  having  erected  a  dining-room  near  the 
tent,  open  on  the  front  and  closed  in  on  both  sides,  with  a 
roof  made  of  pine  boughs.  Here  we  have  our  table,  and 
we  are  as  happy  as  kings,  eating  our  meals.  The  Gov- 
ernor insisted  that  it  would  be  more  civilized  to  eat  off  a 
table  than  off  the  ground,  so  we  followed  his  suggesdon. 
The  Governor  and  myself  took  with  us  the  old  man  Nelson 
to  visit  a  beaver-dam,  but  before  we  had  reached  it  we  got 
tired  and  returned ;  took  a  gun  with  us,  and  killed  some 
partridges, — a  foolish  bird.  It  flies  from  the  ground  and 
perches  on  a  limb,  looking  down.  If  there  should  be  a 
flock  on  the  tree,  the  report  of  a  gun  will  not  frighten  them 
aw'iy,  and,  provided  you  VIA  the  lowest  one  first,  and  so  on, 
you  may  bag  the  entire  lot. 

Young  George  went  out  to  start  a  deer ;  did  not  return 
till  the  following  day.  Says  that  he  lost  his  way.  The 
opinion  of  the  camp  was  that  he  got  lazy  and  slept  out  in 
a  haystack. 

Thursday y  2\st. — Took  a  stroll  through  the  woods.  In 
the  afternoon  a  deer  was  shot ;  the  hinder  part  was  partly 
eaten  by  one  of  the  hounds. 

Friday^  72d. — Broke  up  camp  and  went  to  the  head 
of  the  lake.     The  Governor   took  the  stage  for  Rosseau 


■PBIPOTma 


=Fm 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OE  CANADA. 


69 


on  his  way  home.  George  and  his  father  went  home,  and 
we  pitched  our  camp  on  the  shores  of  the  lake.  Got  milk 
from  Averill's.  The  captain  went  in  search  of  another 
guide.  As  we  were  coming  down  the  lake  in  the  canoes, 
which  were  loaded  to  the  gunwale,  one  of  the  dogs  under- 
took to  jump  out  and  come  to  our  canoe,  nearly  upsetting 
the  one  containing  the  Governo  .  However,  nothing  more 
serious  resulted  than  ihe  shipi  :.i^  of  some  water  and  the 
severe  flight  to  our  friend. 

Captain  Ross  now  went  home,  and  Dr.  W.  and  myself 
were  alone. 

Saturday,  23^^, — The  captain  came  to  the  camp  about 
ten  o'clock,  accompanied  by  Bob  Noble,  who  was  to  go 
with  us  as  the  second  guide.  We  ate  dinner  an-^  started 
up  the  lake  for  Maganetawan  in  a  canoe,  and  reached  there 
in  the  evening.  Camped  a  little  above  the  falls,  near  a  saw- 
mill. Visited  Clark,  and  was  invited  by  him  to  rest  there 
that  night.  Remembering  the  experience  that  we  had 
under  his  roof  on  our  first  night  at  Maganetawan,  we 
replied  that  he  evidently  had  too  many  to  accommodate 
already,  and  only  took  our  supper  there.  This  evening 
the  boy,  John  McCarthy,  begged  so  hard  to  accompany  us 
that  we  finally  consented,  and  a  happy  boy  he  was.  I 
think  he  slept  but  little  that  night.  He  is  fourteen  years 
of  age,  and  his  whole  delight  is  in  fishing.  He  has  never 
been  out  on  an  expedition  before. 

Sunday,  2^lh. — After  breakfast  at  Clark's  we  stat-ted 
for  Burk's  Falls,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles.  The  morn- 
ing was  fair,  but  shortly  after  starting  it  commenced  to 
rain,  and   continued  all   day.     We   stopped  at  twelve   for 


A  i; 


1 1    'i 


yo  THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADI^  ; 

lunch  and  then  proceeded, — die  captain  and  I  in  the  litde 
canoe  and  the  doctor  and  Bob  in  the  larcrer  one.  Well 
provided  with  rubber  outfit,  I  kept  dry,  while  the  others 
were  wet.  Arrived  sately  at  Burk's  Falls, — named  after 
Burk,  who  four  years  ago  settled  here,  and  who  keeps  a 
store ;  there  is  also  a  post-office  and  a  new  hotel  building. 
The  enterprise  shown  by  the  government  is  wonderful. 
Every  little  settlement  has  its  post-office  and  regular  mail. 
A  steamboat  runs  from  the  tails  to  Maganetawan  every 
other  day.  We  tried  our  luck  widi  the  fish  and  caught  a 
nice  lot  for  supper.     We  camped  by  thf^  river. 

Mondcy,  2^th. — Started  fot  Pickerel  Lake.  Hired 
Burk's  team  to  take  our  luggage  beyond  the  first  portage. 
I  went  with  the  team ;  the  others  by  canoe.  After  the 
portage  was  passed  the  c-iptain  and  I  took  one  canoe,  the 
doctor  and  Bob  the  other.  We  had  not  proceeded  far 
when  we  ran  into  a  snag,  and  to  prevent  sinking  before  we 
reached  the  land,  I  had  to  hold  my  hand  over  the  rent  in  the 
side  of  the  canoe  while  Captain  Ross  paddled  us  ashore. 

With  a  piece  of  cloth  and  an  application  of  warm  pitch 
we  were  soon  afloat  again.  At  noon  we  took  our  dinner. 
The  doctor  got  out  his  tackle,  and  in  a  few  moments 
landed  some  nice  bass  and  pickerel,  which  made  an  appe- 
tizing addition  to  our  mid-day  meal.  He  had  also  two 
'^ rises'  of  trout. 

Arrived  in  the  evening  at  Pickerel  Lake ;  went  out 
and  caught  some  bass  and  pickerel.  There  is  good  trout- 
fishing  here.  This  lake  is  two  miles  long.  We  encamped 
at  the  head  of  it.  Four  settlers  are  located  on  its  shores, 
and  live  by  fishing  and  hunting  as  well  as  by  cultivating 


tM 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


7« 


the   ground.     Last   Saturday  our  next  neighbor,  Mossup^ 
killed  a  black  bear  about  half  a  mile  from  our  encampment. 

It  rained  nearly  all  day ;  too  wet  to  hunt ;  went  trolling 
in  the  lake,  and  caught  some  very  fine  bass.  In  the  after- 
noon tried  to  start  a  deer,  but  failed. 

Wednesday,  2']th. — Equinoctial  storm;  wet!  wet!  wet! 
Went  fishing,  and  caught  some  fish.  Have  had  no  flesh 
meat  since  we  left  Maganetawan.  Fish  is  our  principal 
food.  George  went  out  and  started  a  deer,  but  it  took  to 
another  lake.  It  rained  all  day ;  very  cold ;  varied  by 
snowing  in  the  evening.  The  wind  was  very  sharp  and 
cold.  Received  a  visit  from  Mossup's  two  sons.  Got  a 
supply  of  potatoes  from  him.  It  is  remarkable  what  fine 
potatoes  are  raised  on  this  virgin  soil.  , 

Thursday,  2%th. — Still  wet  and  cold.  Tried  fishing,  but 
the  lake  was  too  rough  for  success.  In  hopes  of  pro- 
viding some  partridge  for  the  table  we  went  out  with  our 
guns,  but  the  endeavor  failed.  Had  for  dinner  bouillon, 
potatoes,  carrots,  turnips,  and  onions ;  splendid  appetite. 
Captain  Ross  does  not  know  what  to  do.  The  doctor  has 
the  blues ;  would  like  to  be  home 
mountain  for  partridge ;  no  use. 
on  the  lake  .-xnd  caught  £ome  fish  near  the  shore,  although 
the  lake  was  covered  with  white-caps.  The  doctor  is 
fixing  his  pants  ;  sewed  the  pockets  up  by  camp-light. 

Fiiday,  29M.  —  Rained  all  last  night ;  raining  this 
morning.  George  started  a  deer, — a  large  buck, — but 
did  not  get  him  ;  he  disappeared  very  mysteriously.  A  wet 
day ;  drooping  spirits  in  camp.  Captain  George  sick :  a 
bloody  dysentery ;    gave  him    the    last  of  the    spirits ;    he 


I   V/ent  out  on  the 
In  the  afternoon  went 


Hi 


72 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


•  1 


went  to  MossLip's  house.  The  doctor  and  Bob  are  out  in 
the  canoe  watching  for  deer.  In  the  afternoon  they  went 
out  fishing  ;  caught  four  bass  and  two  pickerel.  Made  a 
pond  for  the  fish,  but  in  the  morning  they  were  missing, 
having  been  taken  by  the  minks. 

Saturday,  ^t'^th. — Wet  morning.  Went  out  looking  for 
help  ;  paddled  about  till  ten  o'clock,  v/hen  he  got  Mossup 
and  his  boy  to  come  and  help  carry  the  baggage,  so  that  we 
could  go  straight  on  without  returning.  The  captain  was 
unwilling  to  start,  as  he  said  it  would  rain  ;  but  the  doctor 
was  determined,  and  to  show  it  we  started  on  before  them, 
so  that  they  had  to  follow.  It  rained  a  li  .  i  the  morn- 
ing,— very  little.  The  doctor  and  I  started  with  our  guns 
and  rods ;  lost  the  trail,  but  kept  on  our  course,  and  the 
first  thing  we  met  was  a  high  mountain.  We  faced  it,  and 
by  hard  work,  climbing  and  crawling,  we  reached  the  top. 
A  beautiful  sight  rewarded  our  efforts  :  no  less  than  three 
lakes  were  to  be  seen  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  We 
also  descried  our  party  in  a  ravine,  and  built  a  fire  to 
attract  their  attention.  They  saw  it,  and  we  hastened  to 
join  them.  We  descended  the  side  of  the  mountain  and 
found  them  all  right,  except  that  they  had  decided  to  camp 
there  for  the  day.  We  decided,  after  partaking  of  a  light 
meal,  to  proceed  on  our  way.  The  account  given  by  the 
captain  of  the  portage  v/as  sufficient  to  intimidate  any  one 
but  ourselves.  Our  word  was  Otiward f  We  were  told 
that  we  could  not  make  the  journey  before  night,  and  that 
when  we  reached  P.ock  Lake,  for  wliich  we  v/^)"  houiiu, 
there  would  be  no  place  to  pitch  our  ten.t.  We  wf  r  j  re- 
solved,  however,   to  go  on,  and  we  did,      \^di  of  M'-    rne 


s'*' 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


n 


portages,  this  beat  them  all!  Through  a  bog,  wet  and 
miifMy,  over  logs,  and  through  bushes,  well  interlaced,  we 
finally  reached  our  resting-place  on  Rock  Lake.  We 
found  that  the  only  place  suitable  for  a  camp  was  on  a 
rocky  cliff,  about  thirty  feet  above  the  lake,  not  more  than 
twenty  feet  clear  on  the  surface,  and  little  or  no  wood,  as 
there  had  been  a  fire.  The  lake  was  alive  with  fish ;  the 
doctor  tried  them,  but  they  would  not  bite.  Wearied  and 
exhausted,  we  impatiently  awaited  the  cooking  of  a  pot  of 
beans ;  and  before  they  were  half  boiled,  so  great  was  our 
hunger,  we  attacked  the  pot. 

We  had  to  drive  pegs  in  the  crevices  of  the  rock,  and 
in  many  instances  were  compelled  to  put  stones  as  weights 
on  the  canvas  to  keep  the  tent  in  place.  Wc  slept, 
however,  soundly. 

Sunday,  October  i. — The  night  was  stormy;  thunder 
and  lightning  with  high  winds.  The  guides'  tent  was  blown 
down  on  them,  but  they  were  so  tired  that  they  slept  on 
when  they  found  that  their  lives  were  safe,  although  the 
manner  in  which  Bob  prayed  aloud  would  open  the  eyes 
of  any  saint.  The  doctor  and  myself  tried  to  improve 
on  our  bed  of  the  previous  night  by  knocking  off  some 
of  the  sharp  points  of  the  rocks  on  which  we  slept.  It 
was  truly  the  hardest  and  most  uneven  that  we  ever  slept 
on,  and  we  prefer  to  be  excused  from  a  repetition  ;  so,  as 
we  had  to  remain  there  another  night,  we  tried  to  make 
it  at  least  smoother,  if  not  softer.  The  doctor  went  out 
and  caught  eleven  large  trout,  and  as  the  larder  was  bare, 
it  is  no  exaggeration  to  add  that  they  were  very  acceptable 
after  yesterday's  tramp  and  our  sumptuous  (?)  supper. 


m 


ii 


Hi 


III 


m 


,11   !i 


1 1 


74 


77/^  SPORTSAfAN'S  PARADISE; 


The  captain  and  Bob  started  back  after  the  rest  of  the 
baggage,  which  they  had  left  where  we  took  hinch,  and 
came  into  camp  about  four  o'clock  p.m.  with  a  beautiful 
specimen  of  a  large  owl  that  they  had  shot.  The  doctor 
had  to  provide  food  for  the  camp,  and  brought  in  a  fine  lot 
of  trout.  We  set  Bob  to  work,  with  an  axe,  levelling  our 
bed,  by  cutting  out  stumps,  driving  down  stones,  and 
raising  up  others.  We  had  to  be  careful,  for  we  were 
limited  in  space, — liable  to  fall  and  break  our  necks. 

It  rained  all  day  ,  the  niides  were  in  ])ad  humor. 

Monday,  2d. — Clianged  camp  to-day.  First  we  had  a 
portage  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  Mud  Lake,  followed  by 
a  portage  of  half  a  mile  to  Loon  Lake,  both  of  which 
we  crossed,  and  camped  between  Loon  and  Grass  Lakes. 
In  crossing  Loon  Lake  we  trolled  and  caught  some 
speckled  and  salmon  trout,  several  weighing  from  two  to 
three  pounds.  This  is  a  beautiful  lake,  and  we  encamped 
on  a  lovely  spot.  There  is  about  forty  rods  of  ground 
intervening  between  the  two  lakes.  We  set  to  work  here 
fixing  our  camp;  the  doctor  gathering  a  fine  supply  of 
young  branches  for  a  bed,  whilst  I  was  making  a  fire  to 
burn  the  roots  and  leave  the  ground  nice  and  dry  where 
we  were  to  sleep.  With  our  delightful  situation — plenty 
of  fine  fish  and  an  abundance  of  johnnj'-cake  for  supper — 
we  were  happy,  and  slept  the  sleep  of  the  jusi. 

Tuesday,  3^. — Bob  went  out  in  quest  of  a  dog  that 
had  folio w';d  a  deer  yesterday  and  had  not  returned ; 
finally  discovered  him  in  the  camp  of  a  hunter  named 
Harvey,  and  returned  with  him  to  us.  I  went  out  for  a 
strol)  and  got  some  partridges.     Bob  and  the  captain  went 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


75 


after  deer  in  the  morning,  but  were  unsuccessful.  The 
doctor  started  out  in  the  morning  in  search  of  partridge, 
and  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  a  furious  storm  arose. 
At  half-past  five  we  sent  Bob  out  in  a  canoe  across  the 
lake,  as  we  heard  the  report  of  the  doctor's  gun.  The  ' 
thunder  and  lightning  were  severe.  After  a  while  we  made 
a  fire  on  the  border  of  Loon  Lake  to  direct  them  home. 
In  the  glare  of  the  lightning  we  saw  Bob,  in  the  canoe, 
shouting  with  his  might  and  main.  He  finally  reached  the 
shore,  though  the  wind  lashed  the  lake  into  high  waves. 
Again  we  heard  the  report  of  the  doctor's  gun  ;  this  time 
the  captain  took  one  of  the  canoes  and  went  in  search  of 
the  doctor.  The  storm  increased  in  violence ;  it  was  a 
terrible  night.  Towards  eight  o'clock  we  heard  shouting 
on  the  lake.  It  was  the  captain  retu  aing,  bringing  home 
my  companion, — safe,  though  wet  to  tlie  skin.  He  had 
built  a  fire  and  it  had  set  fire  to  a  decayed  tree,  which  had 
some  time  before  been  struck  by  the  Irghlning,  and  for  a 
great  distance  around  the  fire  lighted  up  everything,  and 
thus  directed  the  steps  of  the  guide  throygh  the  darkness 
to  the  spot  Thf"  doctor  had  wandered  to  another  lake, 
and  as  he  t  ought  he  was  yet  c«i  Loon  Lake,  he  lost  his 
way.  He  had  not  provided  himself  with  a  pocktl  com- 
pass. It  is  a  serious  thing  to  get  lost  in  the  wilds  of 
Canada . 

Wednesday,  ^tk. —  A  fine  breakfast, —  partridges  and 
splendid  trout.  We  enjoy  camp-life  very  much  Went 
out  deer-hunting,  and  before  noon  we  had  a  fine  buck 
hung  up,  weighing  over  two  hundred  pounds.  '  "^ne  of 
the  dogs  was  again  lost,  and  Bob  went  to  hunt  him  up  ; 


;  i'-i  * 

Mil 


'ill!! 


Il    '  I 


1^ 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


took  my  breech-loader  with  him.  Scene, — Bob  returns, 
swearing  like  a  trojper ;  wet  and  cold, — it  is  now  the  month 
of  October  and  ice  has  already  formed, — wants  to  change 
his  clothing;  stands  by  the  camp-fire,  dripping  wet.  In 
the  mean  time  he  shouts  to  me,  "  Your  gun  is  lost ;  it  is 


^ll#>« 


.1    j..< 


\. 


"  It  is  a  Mrrious  thing  to  g^  lost  in  the  wilds  uf  Canada." 


.-a;/^-''-'  r 


in  the  bottom  of  the  lake."  He  mfarms  me  llitit  ihe  dog 
upset  the  canr>e,  and  that  he  was  compelled  to  swim 
ashore.  Went  fishing  and  caught  aiMqF  tfOUt, — as  many 
as  we  desired.  It  rained  several  times  tt»  (Iwy,  The  boy, 
John,  set  his  trap  for  mink  and  caught  sevtMal.  Made  a 
rake  to  go  fishing  after  my  gun  that  went  to  the  bottom 
of  the  lake.     D'^ctor  and  Bob  went  to  find  the  lost  gun ; 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


n 


the  captain  and  I  after  deer.  We  started  one,  which  took 
to  a  neighboring  lake.  Went  to  this  lake,  and,  the  water 
being  clear,  we  discovered  the  gun  at  tlie  bottom.  Took 
a  line  and  hook  and  brought  up  the  gun,  the  hook  having 
caught  the  guard.  It  seems  that  there  was  no  dog  in  the 
boat,  and  that  Bob  was  about  to  fire  when  the  canoe  upset ; 
both  barrels  being  cocked,  as  we  discovered  when  we 
raised  the  gun.  We  joked  Bob  about  the  canoe  being 
upset  by  a  dog  when  there  was  a  man  in  it.  It  was  worse 
than  sleeping  in  a  hayslack.  He  felt  sheepish  and  con- 
siderably "  riled"  ;  so  much  so  that  he  refused  point-blank 
to  accompany  the  doctor  in  the  little  canoe.  It  rained 
to-day. 

Friday,  ttk. — Started  a  deer  this  morning,  but  after 
some  running  it  took  a  direction  straight^  from  us,  so  that 
wc  were  obliged  to  give  't  up.  Returned  to  camp,  and 
after  dinner  the  captain  went  to  try  to  get  a  man  to  help 
us  move,  as  we  have  decided  to  go  on  to-monuvv.  We 
obtaincMl  a  (pianlity  of  potatoes,  Several  birds  wen-  shot, 
and  also  a  marten.  Tried  to  fish,  but  they  would  not 
•iHse." 

Saturday,  yih. — Broke  camp  and  started  to  Sand  Lake. 
The  portage  was  three  miles  long,  a  good  even  trail,  and 
we  had  a  man  to  assist  in  carrying  the  luggage.  On  our 
way  one  of  the  dogs  started  a  deer.  The  captain,  who 
carried  on  his  shoulders  one  of  the  canoes  bearing  our 
cooking-utensils  and  paddles,  starteu  on  a  run  two  miles 
from  the  lake  to  which  we  were  bound.  We  proceeded 
leisurely,  shooting  partridge  as  we  went  along ;  lost  our 
way,  and  had  to  retrace  our  steps  before  we  got  on  the 


78 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


M  , 


right  trail.  When  we  approached  the  border  of  the  lake 
we  found  the  sand  strewn  with  kettles  and  pots,  and  on 
looking  on  the  lake  we  beheld  the  captain  driving  before 
him  a  very  fine  deer,  which  the  dog  had  started  two  miles 
back.  The  doctor  took  the  other  canoe,  and  with  one  of 
the  guns  killed  the  deer.  The  captain  had  no  weapon  with 
him  except  the  paddle,  and  this  he  was  unwilling  to  use  on 
the  deer.  He  kept  it  swimming  until  we  arrived.  We 
encamped  in  the  midst  of  a  pine  grove,  the  most  beautiful 
spot  it  was  my  good  fortune  to  see.  There  lay  tlie  lake 
in  all  its  natural  beauty,  backed  by  beautiful  scenery ; 
trees  that  spring  up  sixty  feet  as  straight  as  an  arrow  be- 
fore your  eye  would  encounter  a  single  branch.  A  silence 
that  was  solemn.  The  doctor  and  myself  sat  hour  after 
hour  gazing  on  the  scene  on  a  moonlight  night,  as  the 
waters  of  the  lake  rippled  on,  and  we  exclaimed,  '"  Oh,  that 
a  painter  worthy  of  the  subject  was  here !"  Here  was 
nature  unadorned,  in  all  her  primeval  beauty.  At  some 
distance  from  us  was  a  house,  where  we  obtained  milk  and 
potatoes,  which  we  relished. 

October  lo. — Went  to  visit  W.  Tucker,  where  I  dined 
and  procured  some  bread.  It  seemed  a  little  strange,  after 
being  out  in  camp,  to  be  within  the  walls  of  a  house.  Had 
several  hunters  of  the  surrounding  country  to  visit  us. 
They  were  on  a  hunt ;  had  one  deer. 

October  ii. — Went  out  fishing  on  the  lake  in  a  dug- 
out, and  while  fishing  shot  a  deer,  which  I  brought  to  shore, 
Having  towed  it  with  the  fishing-line.  It  was  slow  work 
bringing  it  in,  as  the  pesky  old  dug-out  was  so  easily  upset. 
I  astonished  the  doctor  when  I  informed  him  that  I  caught 


OK,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


79 


him  on  the  line.  We  had  now  two  other  deer  besides 
mine.  1  his  lake  is  three  miles  long  and  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  lakes. 

October  12. — Started  for  home.  Crossed  the  lake,  win- 
tered the  waters  of  the  South  River,  and  paddled  with  a 
light  heart  for  the  land  of  the  free.  Wo  came  to  Kearney, 
where  there  was  a  store,  but  no  refreshments  on  hand. 
Kept  on  until  three  o'clock,  and  then  lunched.  Started 
again  ;  found  many  rapids  where  we  were  obliged  to  walk. 
Camped  at  six  o'clock ;  had  abundance  for  dinner, — par- 
tridges, venison,  and  potatoes,  no  bread.     Slept  soundly. 

October  13. — Started  early;  at  the  first  rapids  one  of 
the  dogs  tarted  a  deer ;  had  to  wait  an  hour  for  the  beast. 
The  other  canoe  went  ahead.  The  canoe  leaked  badly. 
Reached  Burk's  Falls  at  three  and  a  half  p.m.  Here  we 
took  a  steamboat,  and  after  a  safe  and  uneventful  journey 
from  this  point,  we  reached  home  again  October  16. 


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II 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


CHAPTER    V. 


1 1      I 


The  Start  for  a  Grand  Moose-  and  Dker-Hunt — Selection  of  a  Photogra- 
pher AND  the  Chief  Guide— A  Romantic  Wedding  and  the  Honey- 
moon— Arrival  at  Rosseau  Village — Canadian  Stage  Route — Proprietor 
AND  Driver— Our  Old  Fxiend  "  Chris" — Our  New-Made  Acquaintances- 
Mr.  Stkice,  of  Brooklyn. 


Hi' 


HE  necessary  preparations  for  a 
grand  moose-  and  deer-hunt  which  I 
commenced  in  the  month  of  July, 
■'^1884,  were  not  completed  until  the 
20th  of  September  in  the  same 
year.  I  had  originally  anticipated 
that  I  would  be  able  to  persuade 
some  personal  friend  to  accom- 
pany me ;  but  when  I  informed  them  that  I  should  probably 
be  away  from  home  at  least  two  months,  and  that  there 
were  certain  hardships  and  privations  that  were  inseparable 
from  moose-stalking,  I  found  no  one  inclined  to  become  a 
member  of  my  party.  I  was  therefore  placed  in  a  position 
to  organize  this  expedition  on  a  basis  which  'vas  strictly  in 
harmony  with  my  own  wishes.  The  great  object  that  I 
wished  to  accomplish  by  this  trip  was  an  improvement  of 
my  health,  inasmuch  as  I  was  then  suffering  from  gluco- 
suria,  making  it  necessary  for  me  to  take  very  active  ex- 
ercise, which  to  a  lazy  man  is  commonly  felt  to  be  a  mean 
sort  of  drudgery.  I  therefore  took  advantage  of  my  love 
of  the  chase,  and  thereby  changed  what  would  otherwise 


»>■".<"  "WWipW^IW^i^y^ 


til 


:<      1 


O/?,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


8l 


have  been  an  irksome  duty  into  a  pleasant  pastime.  It 
required  but  little  reflection  on  my  part  to  discern  the  ad- 
vantages that  might  accrue  from  the  presence  of  a  photog- 
rapher in  my  party,  since  he  would  enable  me  to  bring 
away  from  the  wilderness  so  many  grand  scenes  which, 
otherwise,  would  be  so  soon  forgotten,  even  by  myself, 
and  never  enjoyed  by  my  friends.  It  was  while  I  was  im- 
bued with  this  idea  that  I  met  Anton  Mildenbeiger,  an 
educated  gentleman  and  highly  skilled  landscape  photogra- 
pher, who  very  readily  consented  to  become  a  member  of 
my  party.  This  gentleman  possessed  in  a  very  high  de- 
gree those  qualities,  physical,  mental,  and  social,  which  are 
so  important  in  every  member  of  such  a  hunting-party. 
The  reader  will  readily  perceive  that  since  there  is  much 
heavy  labor  to  be  performed,  especially  on  the  portages,  it  is 
very  desirable  that  each  member  of  the  party  should  be  able 
to  give  some  assistance,  and  it  likewise  requires  physical 
strength  to  travel  long  distances  through  these  unbroken 
forests.  It  is  equally  evident  that,  prioi  to  engaging  a 
photographer  for  such  an  expedition  as  I  was  about  to  start 
on,  his  mental  and  social  qualities  should  be  carefully  con- 
sidered. Having  given  the  necessary  attention  to  all  these 
points,  I  finally  determined  to  employ  Mr.  Mildenberger. 

About  the  middle  of  August  the  terms  were  arranged, 
and  he  was  requested  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  departure 
on  the  20th  of  September.  I  had  reached  the  conclusion, 
prior  to  entering  on  this  engagement,  that  the  indiviaual 
selected  for  this  duty  was  neither  an  epicure  nor  a  dude, 
and  therefore  I  believed  that  he  might  be  able  to  content 
himself  in  a  hunter's  camp.     This  conclusion  was.  in  some 


I 


82 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


i 


1 


measure,  based  on  the  tact  that.  I  had  learned  from  a  thor- 
oughly reliable  source  that  my  photographer  had  served  as 
a  private  soldier  in  the  German  army  during  the  whole  of 
the  Franco-Prussian  War ;  and  I  was  then — as  I  am  now — 
thoroughly  convinced  that  in  such  a  school  a  strong  char- 
acter is  formed,  frivolities  forgotten,  and  mafihood  developed. 
Let  the  reader  study  the  character  of  Anton  Mildenberger 
throughout  the  entire  story  of  this  hunt  before  he  declares 
that  the  opinion  I  have  just  expressed  is  incorrect. 
•  The  selection  of  the  chief  guide,  although  a  matter  of 
great  importance  to  any  hunting-party,  did  not  in  this  in- 
stance require  much  thought  on  my  part,  as  I  was  thor- 
oughly acquainted  with  George  Ross,  who  resides  at 
Spence,  in  the  district  of  Muskoka,  province  of  Ontario, 
Canada,  and  with  whom  the  reader  has  already  been  made 
familiar  in  the  preceding  pages  of  this  book,  especially 
with  his  exploits  in  deer-hunting,  etc.  These  remarkable 
feats,  which  have  been  recorded  by  my  friend  and  com- 
panion in  a  former  hunt  in  these  backwoods,  were  all 
familiar  to  me  when  I  made  my  arrangements  for  a  third 
visit  to  this  grand  forest.  I  was  likewise  aware  of  the  fact 
that  there  were  then  only  two  competent  moose-hunters 
and  guides  for  all  that  region  which  I  had  determined  to 
enter,  and  these  were  Captain  George  Ross  and  h*s 
brother,  Wellington,  These  brothers  were  the  first  white 
men  to  penetrate  that  magnificent  forest  lying  north  and 
northeast  of  Pickerel  Lake  and  the  Lake  of  the  Bays  and 
south  of  the  Ottawa  River  for  the  purpose  of  trapping 
beaver.  This  forest  still  contains  many  thousand  square 
miles,  which  are  in   the   same  primitive  condition  as  they 


mssa 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


83 


were  a  hundred  years  ago.  It  was  in  this  great  forest  that 
I  spent  six  vveelvs  without  meeting  a  human  being,  except 
the  members  of  my  own  party,  or  seeing  even  a  trapper's 
cabin,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  that  had  been 
built  by  the  Ross  brothers.  These  brcdiers  liad  been 
trapping  in  that  wilderness  about  fourteen  years,  and  are 
certain  that  when  they  first  entered  it  it  did  not  contain 
moose  nor  any  trace  of  those  animals.  They  say  that  the 
moose  made  their  appearance  here  after  the  prevalence  of 
heavy  forest  fires  which  prevailed  in  the  country  east  of 
this  region,  and  that  this  was  contemporaneous  with  the 
commencement  of  work  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad. 
I  wrote  to  Captain  George  Ross,  making  my  engagement 
with  him  about  the  middle  of  July,  1884;  thus  early  in  order 
that  he  might  prepare  the  necessary  outfit,  and  likewise 
construct  new  birch-bark  canoes,  and  engage  an  assistant 
guide,  etc.  He  promptly  informed  me  of  his  acceptance, 
and  promised  to  have  everything  in  readiness  for  us.  It 
was,  therefore,  with  the  fullest  confidence  in  the  complete- 
ness of  my  arrangements  that  I  took  my  departure  from 
Jersey  City  on  the  evening  of  the  20th  of  September,  1884, 
in  company  with  my  photographer. 

Nothing  of  importance  transpired  until  we  reached 
Gravenhurst  wharf,  on  the  2 2d  of  September.  This  oc- 
curred at  about  two  p.m.,  and  we  went  immediately  on 
board  of  the  steamboat  "  Nippissing,"  where  I  met  an  in- 
telligent gendeman,  who  informed  me  that  he  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers  in  the  vicinity  of  Rosseau,  having  settled 
about  thirty  years  ago  in  the  backwoods,  built  for  himself 
and  wife  a  small  log  cabin,  and  afterwards  cut  down  the 


iH 


^i';! 


W   ; 


w 


('■ 


84 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


''' 


forest-trees,  changing  the  wilderness  into  a  farm,  on  which 
he  reared  a  family,  and  where  he  still  continued  to  reside. 
He  spoke  of  the  sufferings  and  deprivations  endured  by 
himself  and  other  pioneers  who  first  ventured  to  settle  in 
this  cold,  rocky  wilderness,  where  they  were  generally 
widely  separated  from  each  other,  and  likewise  at  a  great 
distance  from  those  depots  which  furnished  them  with  tiie 
necessaries  of  life. 

It  often  became  necessary  for  these  pioneers  to  walk 
through  unbroken  forests  a  distance  of  forty  or  sixty  miles 
in  order  to  buy  provisions,  or  even  mail  a  letter,  while  their 
only  means  of  transportation,  during  the  season  in  which 
the  lakes  and  rivers  were  not  frozen,  was  the  birch-bark 
canoe ;  but  when  these  avenues  of  travel  were  closed  with 
ice,  they  wf  re  then  compelled  to  perform  the  labor  which, 
in  California  and  other  portions  of  the  United  States,  is 
done  by  pack-mules. 

Furthermore,  the  difficulty  which  attended  this  trans- 
portation of  provisions  was  not  by  any  means  the  most 
serious  one  with  which  they  had  to  contend,  inasmuch  as 
the  amount  of  cash  carried  by  them  into  the  wilderness 
was  generally  very  limited,  and  consequently  soon  ex- 
hausted ;  a  condition  which,  in  some  instances,  was  fol- 
lowed by  death  from  starvation,  while  in  other  cases  these 
poor  sufferers  were  compelled  to  subsist  for  many  weeks 
on  no  other  food  than  turnips,  eaten  without  salt  or  pepper, 
while  at  other  times  a  meal  was  made  of  birch-buds  or 
seed-potatoes  that  had  been  planted  some  weeks.  In 
order  that  the  reader  may  understand  this  dreadful  con- 
dition of  things,  he  should  be  informed  that  the  pioneers 


StIUJLi    "11 


•"**- 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


«5 


who  first  settled  on  these  "  Free  Grant  Lands"  were  very 
poor,  possessing  no  live-stock  of  any  kind,  and  in  many 
instances  they  were  even  strangers  to  the  American  ron- 
tioent, — persons  who  had  been  tempted  by  the  offer  of 
lands  to  leave  their  homes  in  Europe,  and  in  many  cases, 
too,  these  immigrants  were  entirely  ignorant  of  all  agricul- 
tural pursuits. 

Many  of  these  people  became  quickly  discouraged. 
Some  turned  back  from  the  front  without  even  attempting 
to  battle  with  the  cold  climate  and  the  discouraging  sur- 
roundings ;  some  remained  there  only  a  few  weeks  or 
months,  and  then  left  the  "  Free  Grant  Lands"  thoroughly 
discouraged  and  frequently  half  famished.  However,  there 
was  still  another  class  of  these  early  adventurers  who  went 
into  this  wild  wilderness — this  land  of  beautiful  lakes  and 
hills — possessed  of  strong  hands  and  strong  wills,  fully 
determined  to  make  a  home  for  themselves ;  and  tJiese 
have  battled  bravely ;  have  won,  and  to  thevt  belongs  the 
spoils.  It  was  to  this  class  that  the  gentleman  whom  I  met 
on  the  boat  belonged.  He  supplied  me  with  much  valu- 
able information  in  regard  to  the  early  history  of  the 
country  about  Lakes  Muskoka  and  Rosseau, — a  district 
which  is  now  fairly  settled,  and  where  the  necessaries,  with 
many  of  the  luxuries,  of  life  are  now  enjoyed  by  its  inhab- 
itants. 

This  gentleman,  like  the  old  soldier  or  sailor  whom  we 
occasionally  meet,  was  delighted  with  the  opportunity  that 
was  now  offered  him  to  detail  to  me  his  struggles  and  his 
successes ;  and  I  was  likewise  highly  pleased  with  the  in- 
formation which  he   imparted.     A  process  similar  to  that 


\    4 


:  (   ■! 


S6 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE: 


•which  I  have  just  described,  in  connection  with  the  lands 
about  these  lakes,  is  now  going  on  in  the  adjacent  terri- 
tory, although  I  think  the  Canadian  government  is  giving 
more  assistance  to  these  struggling  pioneers. 

Assistance  is  afforded  to  the  immigrants  by  the  erection 
of  a  house  at  various  points  along  the  canoe  routes,  where 
provisions  are  stored,  and  where  the  weary  traveller  is 
permitted  to  halt  and  refresh  himself  until  able  once  more 
to  move  forward.  Important  assistance  is  also  afforded  to 
these  early  settlers  by  the  government  in  the  construction 
of  wagon  roads,  which  open  up  the  forest  soon  after  the 
advance  of  the  pioneers,  and  the  establishment  of  schools 
and  post-offices  wherever  demanded  by  the  representative 
heads  of  five  families.  It  will  thus  be  observed  that  the 
pioneer  has  no  just  cause  for  complaint  against  the  gov- 
ernment at  the  present  day. 

Having  portrayed  some  of  the  stern  realities  of  life  in 
these  regions,  we  will  now  turn  to  a  mere  romantic  occur- 
rence, which  we  are  informed  was  enacted  on  Lake  Ros- 
seau  and  other  neighboring  lakes  during  the  summer  of 
18S4.  A  young  gentleman,  die  son  of  the  pioneer  whom  I 
met  on  the  steamboat  "  Nippissing,"  had  determined  to  take 
to  himself  a  wife.  He  had  been  employed  several  years 
as  a  clerk  in  a  banking-house  at  Toronto,  and  it  was  in 
this  city  that  he  met  the  young  lady  whom  he  subsequently 
married.  In  order  that  the  marriage  might  be  in  keeping 
with  the  honeymoon,  it  had  been  decided  that  it  should  be 
celebrated  on  a  green-clad  island  in  the  centre  of  Lake 
Rosseau, — the  same  beautiful  sheet  of  water  near  which 
he  made  his  first  appearance,  as  an  infant,  to  the  great 


jggmm 


i 


OH,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


87 


delight  of  his  father's  heart,  just  twenty-five  years  prior  to 
this  nuptial  celebration,  which  occurred  on  the  twenty-fifth 
day  of  June,  1884.  Very  little  preparation  had  been  made 
on  the  island,  or,  in  fact,  was  needed  for  the  proper  cele- 
bration of  this  important  event,  since  the  underbrush  was 
not,  at  any  point,  dense ;  consequently  the  assembled 
guests  could  pass  readily  from  one  part  of  the  beautiful 
grove  to  another  without  that  inconvenience  that  other- 
wise might  have  been  felt,  especially  by  the  ladies  in  the 
party.  The  trees  growing  on  this  island  consisted  prin- 
cipally of  five  varieties:  near  the  water's  edge  were  seen 
the  graceful  tamarack  and  the  beautiful  balsam,  while 
rising  high  above  the  others  and  near  its  centre  were 
observed  three  great  white  pines,  and  these  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  heavy  growth  of  white  and  yellow  birch- 
trees. 

The  appearance  of  the  island  has  changed  very  little 
since  the  first  settlers  paddled  their  birch-bark  canoes 
through  the  clear  waters  of  Lake  Rosseau. 

Fire,  the  great  destroyer  of  the  primitive  beauty  of 
the  surrounding  forest,  had  left  this  spot  untouched,  and 
here  stood  to-day  the  same  giant  trees  which  forty  years 
ago  had  served  the  groom's  father  as  the  beacon-guide  to 
his  forest  home.  Great  changes  during  this  period  had 
been  wrought  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Rosseau  ;  the  set- 
tlers at  various  places  had  made  clearings  and  built  for 
themselves  the  primitive  log  cabins,  which  had,  in  some 
cases,  passed  away,  giving  place  to  beautiful  frame  cot- 
tages. Much  of  the  remaining  wilderness  has  been 
burned  over,  killing   the   great   forest-trees,   which   were, 


! 


'if  I 


88 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


III 


'I  ■/ 


I 


I 


however,  still  standing,  speaking  to  us,  like  the  Egyptian 
pyramids,  of  the  times  that  have  passed ;  and  these  dead 
trunks  without  branches  are  now  surrounded  by  young, 
living  trees,  which  have  sprung  up  subsequently  to  these 
fires.  Other  changes  had  already  been  inaugurated,  but 
not  by  the  sturdy  pioneer;  these  originated  with  the  city 
denizens,  who  have  selected  certain  choice  spots  on  which 
they  have   erected   summer-homes. 

•  We  have  thus  carefully  described  the  island  and  its  sur- 
roundings prior  to  inviting  the  reader  to  witness  with  us 
the  joyful  ceremony  which  was  just  about  to  be  performed 
in  this  romantic  spot.  The  appointed  day  was  at  hand;  the 
sun  was  journeying  rapidly  towards  the  western  horizon ;  it 
was  already  three  o'clock ;  the  hour  of  four  had  been  fixed 
for  the  performance  of  the  ceremony,  and  our  informant 
had  determined  to  be  on  the  spot  in  time  to  witness  the 
arrival  of  the  bride  and  groom,  who,  with  their  city  friends, 
were  expected  to  come  on  the  steamboat,  which  would  land 
them  on  the  island.  The  other  invited  guests,  living  about 
the  lake,  were  expected  to  come  in  such  boats,  canoes,  etc., 
as  they  possessed.  Soon  after  three  o'clock  there  could 
have  been  seen  approaching  the  island  several  small  row- 
boats,  a  half-dozen  canoes,  and  a  single  dug-out.  Each  boat 
carried  several  persons,  males  and  females,  young  and  old, 
attired  in  their  holiday  suits :  these  boats  contained  the 
more  wealthy  class  of  pioneers  with  their  families.  The 
occupants  of  the  canoes  were  chiefly  males  and  belonged 
to  the  hunting  classes.  These  hunters  were  for  the  most 
part  attired  in  hunting-coats,  which  were  ornamented  with 
much  fringe,  thus  displaying  a  characteristic  of  the  original 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


89 


inhabitant  of  these  grand  forests,  and  this  was  further  imi- 
tated by  the  bnght  colors  shoion  in  the  various  articles  of 
dress,  especially  in  the  needle-work  that  ornamented  their 
moccasins. 

The  solitary  occupant  o^  the  dug-out  was  a  poor  im- 
migrant, who  had  but  recently  arrived  in  this  country  in 
order  to  avail  himself  of  the  "  Free  Grant  Lands,"  and 
likewise  settle  near  his  brother,  who  had  preceded  him 
twenty  years,  having  settled  on  this  lake  in  1864.  It  was 
half-past  three  o'cIock  when  the  steamboat  was  descried 
approaching  the  island  from  the  direction  of  Toronto.  At 
this  moment  many  of  the  invited  guests  residing  about  the 
lake  had  effected  a  landing.  The  boats  and  canoes  of 
these  were  drawn  well  on  terra  Jirma,  while  there  was  still 
a  certain  number  of  the  small  water-craft  to  be  seen  on 
the  lake. 

The  point  selected  for  the  landing  of  the  steamboat 
was  well  chosen.  It  was  directly  in  front  of  a  large,  flat 
rock,  which  extended  from  the  water's  edge  back  several 
rods  into  the  forest,  while  its  width  was  about  one-third  of 
its  length.  The  upper  surface  of  this  rock  did  not  rise  at 
any  point  materially  above  the  surface  of  the  surrounding 
earth,  while  the  water  in  front  of  it  was  now  more  than 
six  feet  deep,  enabling  the  steamer  to  approach,  run  out 
its  ordinary  gang-plank,  and  deliver  its  passengers  with- 
out the  slightest  danger,  having  been  previously  made  fast 
by  means  of  ropes  to  two  balsam-trees  which  were  stand- 
ing in  convenient  positions.  This  steamboat  had  been  the 
principal  object  of  attention  by  all  parties  assembled  on 
the  island,  from  the  moment  when  she  was  first  sighted  in 


■*> 


ii'l 


II 


Y\ 


0 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


W. 


r  ' 


the  distance  until  tiiey  greeted  her  arrival  at  this  point. 
Especially  had  the  group  seated  on  her  upper  forward 
deck  been  the  object  of  attention.  This  party  was  com- 
posed of  an  equal  number  of  neatly-clad  males  and  fe- 
males, who  had  seated  themselves  in  chairs,  that  had  been 
arranged  more  or  less  regularly  around  the  central  figures, 
— the  bride  and  groom. 

This  company  was  composed  mainly  of  the  bride's 
relatives  who  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Toronto.  The 
bride  was,  this  day,  the  most  important  personage  in  the 
whole  party,  and  therefore  ntitled  to  a  brief  description 
at  our  hands,  although  our  informant  was  not  able  to  give 
us  all  the  information  that  we  desired,  especially  that  which 
related  to  her  trousseau,  and  therefore  our  readers  must 
pardon  the  omission  of  much  which  would  certainly  serve 
to  embellish  this  part  of  our  story.  The  bride  had  just 
attained  her  twentieth  birthday,  and  had  received,  through 
the  careful  attention  of  her  parents,  a  sound  education. 
It  had  been  their  strongly-cherished  desire  to  prepare  her 
for  the  stern  duties  of  life  rather  than  to  give  her  a  mere 
smattering  of  those  branches  of  learning  that  are  merely 
ornamental,  and  often  learned  only  to  be  forgotten  a  few 
months  after  leaving  the  recitation-room.  She  had,  there- 
fore, been  thoroughly  trained  by  her  mother  in  the  man- 
agement of  household  affairs,  even  without  neglecting  the 
highly-important  lessons  in  domestic  economy.  She  like- 
wise possessed  a  thorough  English  education,  having 
shown  in  school  a  great  aptness  for  mathematical  studies, 
in  which  she  particularly  excelled. 

In  personal  appearance  she  was  comely  without  being 


!i:i 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


91 


a  remarkable  beauty.  She  had  been  a  great  favorite  with 
the  gentlemen,  but  no  man  lived  who  could  truthfully  as- 
sert that  she  had  ever  llirted.  Her  figure  was  symmet- 
rical and  her  movements  g«"aceful.  She  stood  about  five 
feet  and  ten  inches,  attired  as  she  was  on  the  day  that  she 
was  married.  She  belonged  to  that  class  of  beauties  com- 
monly designated  as  brunettes,  having  a  dark  complexion, 
black  hair,  brown  eyes,  and  a  well-rounded  face.  Iler 
forehead  was  moderately  high  and  rather  broad.  The 
eyes  were  of  medium  iize,  full,  and  when  in  repose  wore 
a  kindly  expression,  but  were  capable,  under  excitement, 
of  expressing  the  deepest  love  or  the  most  intense  hatred. 
The  nose  was  rather  long,  but  shapely;  .nouth  only  of 
medium  size ;  chin  v/ell  rounded  and  not  too  prominent. 
It  will  noc  now  surprise  the  reader  when  informed  that  this 
lady's  countenance,  in  repose,  seemed  only  m-Jerately 
attractive,  but  when  lighted  up  with  strong  excitement  it 
became  divinely  expressive.  The  groom,  who  now  sat  at 
her  side,  was  tall  and  rather  slender,  his  figure  erect,  bear- 
ing dignified,  movements  slightly  awkward,  while  the  ex- 
pression of  his  countenance  wanted  a  little  in  that  firmness 
and  force  which  characterized  the  bride's.  He  was  fully 
six  feet  in  height,  having  a  light  complexion,  light-brown 
hair,  light-blue  eyes,  which  were  slightly  sunken,  thin  face, 
with  thin  straggling  side-whiskers,  a  small  nose,  moderately 
large  mouth,  and  a  slightly-receding  chin  and  forehead. 
We  have  now  given  the  reader  as  much  of  the  personality 
of  the  bride  and  groom  as  will  amply  suffice  for  this 
occasion.  In  the  matter  of  dress,  we  can  only  say  that 
the  groom  wore  a  soft  felt  hat.  and  that  not  a  single  silk 


Hi 


\ 


111 


|i     ■     I 


.in 


1    I 


92 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


\\aX.  was  to  be  seen  in  the  whole  party.  The  ladies  were 
neatly  attired  for  the  occr^'on,  bat  cilk  and  satin  dresses 
were  conspicuous  only  by  their  entire  absence.  Bright- 
colored  ribbons  and  good  cheer  prevailed  among  the  as- 
sembled females.  Let  us  now  return  to  the  landing  of  the 
guests  whom  we  have  carefully  surveyed  on  the  steamer's 
deck.  The  moment  this  vessel  had  been  made  fast  the 
party  seated  on  the  upper  deck  arose  and  descended  to 
the  gang-plank,  over  which  they  passed,  the  ladies  resting 
gracefully  on  the  arms  of  their  escorts,  the  bride  and 
groom  being  the  third  couple  to  land.  The  party  passed 
forward  over  the  smooth  but  gradually  ascending  surface 
of  the  rock,  which  has  already  been  described,  in  the  same 
order  they  had  left  the  steamer,  until  they  were  hidden  in 
the  grove.  The  moment  they  stepped  from  this  rock  they 
found  the  earth  covered  .vith  a  thick  layer  of  beautiful 
moss,  extending  in  every  direction  about  them  for  many 
rods,  while  in  front  there  had  been  arranged  an  elerant 
arcii,  formed  by  entwining  the  branches  of  two  neighboring 
trees,  and  this  bower  had  been  handsomely  decorated  with 
wild  flowers,  conspicuous  among  which  were  the  wild  roses 
that  abound  along  the  shores  of  this  lake.  When  the  first 
couple  reached  this  spot  they  halted,  the  lady  dropped  the 
arm  of  her  escort  and  passed  to  the  right,  the  gentleman 
passing  to  the  left;  then  each  faced  about  towards  the 
landing-place,  thus  making  room  for  the  others  who  formed 
under  the  beautiful  arch.  The  bride  and  groom  were  the 
third  couple  to  take  theit  place  in  nature's  bower,  and 
when  they  had  faced  towards  the  lake  there  were  now  s^^en 
standing  to  the  right  of  the  bride  three  fair  ladies,  while 


V.t\ 


'ii:i 


OJi,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


93 


the  groom  was  supported  on  his  left  by  the  same  number 
of  gentlemen.  The  invited  guests  now  faced  the  bride 
and  groom.  At  this  moment  there  appeared  before  them 
an  old  gentleman  wearing  the  official  robes  of  an  Epis- 
copal clergyman,  holding  in  his  hand  a  book.  The  cere- 
mony is  quickly  performed,  congratulations  are  in  order; 
many  voices  are  heard  on  every  side,  but  there  was  no 
formal  wedding  reception.  Baskets  are  brought  forward, — 
their  contents  quickly  arranged  on  the  linen  which  had 
been  spread  for  this  p'<rpose  on  the  green  moss,  and  all 
this  joyous  party  nov>  partake  of  the  refreshments,  giving 
to  the  assemblage  the  appearance  of  a  grand  picnic  in 
nature's  grandest  forest.  All  things  must  end,  and  so  did 
this  grand  festival.  Night  was  approaching,  and  the  in- 
vited guests  must  return  ;  but  we  must  look  a  little  further 
after  the  newly-wedded  couple.  Before  the  steamer  took 
her  departure  from  the  island  the  deck-hands  had  been 
observed  to  bring  on  shore  a  beautiful  Peterborough 
canoe,  and  others  soon  followed  who  carried  two  leather 
valises,  two  camp-stools,  and  several  bundles.  All  these 
Various  articles  had  been  temporarily  deposited  on  the  rock 
near  the  water  s  edge. 

The  remnants  of  the  refreshments  having  been  gath- 
ered up  and  replaced  in  the  baskets,  a  rarty  of  men  are 
seen  to  go  down  to  the  canoe,  seize  hold  of  the  bundles, 
valises,  camp-stools,  etc.,  and  bring  them  forward  to  the 
arch,  beneath  which  was  quickly  erected  a  new,  beautiful, 
and  commodious  tent.  A  balsam  bed  was  quickly  made 
v;ithin  it,  and  the  other  household  goods  properly  ar- 
ranged.    The  invited  guesu  soon  take  their  leave  of  the 


;  1;; 


:|il! 


94 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE. 


m 


i  I 


i\ 


newly-wedded  pair ;  the  steamer  takes  its  departure  from 
the  rock,  where  it  had  remained  in  waiting  for  the  pas- 
sengers. The  bride  and  groom  have  come  to  the  water's 
edge  to  receive  the  parting  sakites  of  their  friends ;  the 
row-boats,  canoes,  and  the  dug-out  have  all  withdrawn 
from  the  island,  and  the  wedded  pair  have  retired  from 
the  lake-shore  to  the  bridal  bower,  where  they  remained 
the  sole  occupants  of  this  island  for  about  forty-eight 
hours.  They  then  started  on  an  extended  and  novel 
wedding-tour,  which  lasted  some  six  weeks,  during  which 
period  they  travelled  more  than  one  thousand  miles  on 
these  mountain  lakes.  The  Peterborough  canoe,  which 
has  already  been  mentioned,  served  as  the  vehicle  for  their 
journeyings,  and  the  handsome  tent  which  was  erected  on 
the  island  soon  after  the  performance  of  the  marriage  cere- 
mony was  their  bridal-chamber.  They  spent  only  a  small 
portion  of  their  honeymoon  on  Lake  Rosseau,  but  passed 
from  one  mountain  lake  to  another,  the  husband  transport- 
ing the  canoe  and  other  lUggage  on  the  portages,  while  the 
wife  walked  at  his  side,  or  more  frequently  followed  behind 
him  in  true  Indian  style.  Thus  they  journeyed  from  lake 
to  lake,  visiting  the  pioneer  villages  situated  on  these 
beautiful  bodies  of  water  for  the  purpose  of  purchasing 
such  supplies  as  their  frugal  mode  of  life  required.  Here, 
on  the  lakes  of  this  wild  mountain  country,  in  the  bright 
summer  months  of  June  and  July,  they  continued  to  bask 
in  sunshine  and  love,  undisturbed  by  the  rude  and  unsym- 
pathetic crowds  that  are  often  met  with  on  the  ordinary 
highways  of  travel. 

We  find  it  impossible,  while  contemplating  the  wander- 


MtHrttHaa 


1' 


ir 


TV 


ii;i| 


if 
■'I 


m 


i 

1 

"t        f' ; 

1 

f 

■  ■  .  '* 

i/i  '"Tig 

aRoS 


A  wedding  in  the  wildernesj. 


fiCK 

r 

f 

J 

*•'  i 


96 


rif£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


|i  i 


ings  of  the  newly-wedded  pair  in  this  wild  and  romantic 
region,  to  refrain  from  following  with  our  imagination  the 
ancient  Huron  and  his  new-made  wife.  If  we  go  back  only 
a  few  decades  in  the  history  of  this  country  we  find  it  in  the 
possession  of  a  mighty  tribe  of  Indians, — the  Hurons,  who 
were  ruthlessly  destroyed  by  their  implacable  enemy,  the 
Iroquois. 

However,  if  we  believe  the  history  which  has  been 
transmitted  to  us,  we  find  very  little  in  the  relation  of  these 
scenes  that  would  be  pleasing  to  the  reader  in  this  con- 
nection. "  Female  life  among  the  Hurons  had  no  bright 
side.  It  was  a  youth  of  license,  an  age  of  drudgery."  It 
must,  therefore,  be  apparent  to  any  one  that  a  comparison 
here  would  be  odious,  and  consequently  we  will  now  bid 
adieu  to  the  newly-wedded  pair.  In  the  contemplation  of 
that  which  we  have  written  on  this  subject,  the  inquiry  forces 
itself  upon  us,  Why  have  the  names  of  these  interesting 
persons  been  omitted  while  other  details  have  been  given  ? 
In  reply  to  this  inquiry  the  author  would  say  that  it  was 
the  father  of  the  groom  who  gave  him  most  of  the  points 
that  have  been  here  interwoven  in  this  narrative,  and  there- 
fore he  withholds  the  names  by  request  of  his  informant. 
Furthermore,  it  will  be  observed  that  this  story,  involving  a 
marriage  and  a  wedding-tour,  is  only  a  wild  flower,  plucked 
from  our  pathway  through  the  wilderness,  presented  to  the 
reader  for  momentary  gratification ;  but  it  forms  no  es- 
sential part  of  the  general  character  of  this  book.  Pardon, 
therefore,  our  digression,  and  go  with  us  to  the  Mountain 
House  in  the  village  of  Rosseau,  where  we  arrived  about 
six  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  2 2d  of  September. 


li 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


97 


It  was  in  the  office  of  this  hotel  that  I  first  observed 
Mr.  Struce,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  whom  I  recognized 
as  a  sportsman  by  his  dress,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  car- 
rying a  gun.  This  gentleman  afterwards  became  a  mem- 
ber of  our  party,  and  remained  with  us  a  few  days  while 
we  were  encamped  on  Lake  Ahmic,  near  Maganetawan 
village.  The  hotel  at  which  we  were  stopping,  now  the 
only  one  at  this  point,  was  the  resort  of  all  the  loungers 
of  the  village  as  well  as  travellers. 

The  evening  meal  was  served  in  the  dining-room  soon 
after  our  arrival,  and  there  seemed  to  be  about  thirty 
guests  in  the  hotel. 

Experience  had  already  taught  me  that  it  is  very  diffi- 
cult to  advance  from  this  point  into  the  forest  if  you  are 
burdened  with  more  than  ten  or  twelve  pounds  of  lug- 
gage, and  consequently  at  an  early  hour  in  the  evening  I 
began  to  make  inquiry  in  regard  to  a  conveyance  to  take 
us  to  Maganetawan  village,  situated  about  thirty-seven 
miles  from  this  place. 

I  learned  at  the  hotel-office  that  a  stage,  now  owned 
and  driven  by  a  Mr.  Bess,  would  leave  for  Maganetawan 
the  next  morning,  arriving  at  its  destination  some  time  in 
the  evening  of  the  same  day.  The  proprietor  of  this  line 
was  soon  pointed  out  to  me,  and  in  answer  to  my  question, 
"  Can  you  take  us  to  Maganetawan  to-morrow  ?"  he  in- 
quired, "  How  much  baggage  have  you  ?"  I  informed  him 
that  we  had  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds.  He 
immediately  replied,  "  I  cannot  take  your  baggage  to-mor- 
row ;  but  I  can  take  you  and  your  companion,  and  will 
deliver   your   baggage    for    you    at    Maganetawan    village 

7 


ili 
■I 


;i 


;'ai 


1    ' 


if 


k. 


\ 


h 


'    l%\ 


i  B     I.' 


1i   i 


>■-■■•.     S    _!_ 


^ 


■il 


98 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


If 


;■  i  ■' 


! 


r      I 


111   )( 


I '5 


". 


ill 


i 


1 


t  liii 


within  one  week,  at  an  extra  charge  of  six  dollars."  The 
regulai  stage  fare  for  a  passenger  between  these  points  is 
a  dollar  and  fifty  cents,  while  for  four  times  that  amount 
the  accommodating  stage-owner  was  willing  to  transport 
for  us,  provided  we  allowed  him  one  week  in  which  to  do 
the  work,  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  of  baggage.  I 
urged  this  stage-driver  very  strongly  to  provide  some 
means  by  which  our  baggage  would  reach  Maganetawan 
the  next  day ;  was  willing  to  give  him  the  additional  six 
dollars,  but  he  positively  refused.  In  fact,  he  showed  no 
disposition  to  aid  us  in  our  efforts,  and  said  that  he  already 
had  as  many  passengers,  who  had  engaged  seats  in  his 
stage,  as  he  could  conveniently  carry.  This  disinclination 
to  accommodate  travellers  seemed  to  me  very  strange  and 
entirely  incomprenensible ;  but  a  subsequent  investigation 
supplied  me  with  a  partial  explanation.  This  man,  Bess, 
through  political  influence,  had  secured  the  contract  to 
carr}'  the  mail  on  that  line,  but  inasmuch  as  he  was  en- 
tirely wanting  in  enterprise,  he  had  neglected  to  provide 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  travelling  public.  The  ex- 
planation of  how  he  could  afford  to  carry  passengers  over 
the  line  for  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents,  while  he  demanded 
four  times  as  much  for  transporting  the  same  weight  in 
baggage,  is  possibly  found  m  the  fact  that  the  accommo- 
dations for  passengers  within  his  stage  are  so  bad  that  all 
passengers  are  compelled,  in  self-interest,  to  walk  at  least 
three-fourths  of  the  whole  distance.  It  will,  therefore,  be 
observed  that  the  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  paid  by  a 
passenger  really  entitles  him  to  ride  only  about  nine  miles 
on  the  Queen's  highway  in  Bess's  stage.     This  stage  was 


mmm 


m 


''li 


OJi,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


99 


J 


owned  and  managed,  in  the  autumn  of  1880,  by  a  good- 
natured  and  accommodating  German,  familiarly  called 
"  Chris,"  of  whom  I  shall  have  something  to  say  hereafter. 
My  attempt  to  negotiate  for  the  transportation  of  my 
party  and  our  luggage  with  Mr.  Bess  ended  in  a  failure. 
Further  inquiry  at  the  hotel-office  afforded  nothing  satis- 
factory. It  is  true  I  learned  that  there  was  no  one  living 
in  the  village,  owning  horses,  who  would  be  willing  to  take 
us  to  our  destination.  This  was  not  in  the  least  encour- 
3gir»g'  I  was  determined,  however,  to  go  forward  on  the 
following  day  if  it  were  possible.  I  made  inquiry  in  re- 
gard to  the  feasibility  of  obtaining  a  team  or  transportation 
from  some  farmer  living  in  the  vicinity.  The  first  objection 
made  to  this  plan  by  the  bystanders  was,  **  You  will  find 
it  impossible  to  get  a  messenger  to  go  into  the  country 
among  the  farmers  to-night;  it  is  too  late,"  although  it 
was  not  yet  ten  o'clock.  I  had  already  been  more  than 
two  hours  engaged  in  my  efforts  to  secure  transportation, 
but  without  success.  At  this  moment  I  discovered  Chris, 
and  immediately  approached  him,  when  he  extended  his 
hand  and  asked  if  I  was  out  on  another  hunting  expedi- 
tion. I  answered  in  the  affirmative,  and  then  made  known 
to  him  my  pressing  wants.  He  said,  "  I  am  here  with  my 
old  team,  but  my  wagon  is  already  loaded  with  merchan- 
dise for  Maganetawan,  some  portions  of  which  is  in  urgent 
demand."  I  saw  that  here  was  my  only  chance.  Chris 
would  like  very  much  to  oblige  me ;  it  was  not  easy  for 
him  to  say  "  no."  He  told  me  that  within  a  few  weeks  he 
had  been  very  unfortunate, — his  dwelling-house  had  been 
burned,  with  all  his  household  furniture ;  that  a  portion  of 


;  111 

% 

1 1 

,    !(« 

\  iiS 
'    .ill 


:•, 


lOO 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


!; 


Bit 


1^^:  :; 


^^ii; 


.-.If 


^ 


'  <'i  li- 


the load  on  his  wagon  at  the  present  time  was  window- 
glass  intended  for  the  new  domicile  that  he  was  now 
erecting.  I  inquired,  "What  will  you  charge  to  take  us 
with  our  luggage  to  Maganetawan  to-morrow  ?"  He  re- 
plied, "  It  is  worth  about  six  dollars,  but  I  don't  think  I  can 
do  it  to-morrow."  I  observed  that  his  manner  was  some- 
what hesitating.  Chris  was  not  entirely  satisfied  with  him- 
self and  his  answer.  I  said  to  him,  "Chris,  remove  your 
load  and  take  us  to  Maganetawan  to-morrow,  and  I  will  give 
you  twelve  dollars  for  the  job."  A  smile  came  over  his 
face ;  it  was  evident  that  I  had  won.  In  a  few  moments 
he  said,  "  The  load  shall  come  off  my  wagon  and  you  shall 
be  in  Maganetawan  to-morrow  night.  What  hour  do  you 
wish  to  start?"  I  said,  "You  may  suit  yourself  in  that 
matter."  He  replied,  "All  right;  let  us  get  away  from 
here  very  early.     I  will  call  you  at  four  o'clock." 

It  was  about  fifteen  minutes  after  four  when  Chris 
knocked  at  my  door  the  next  morning.  I  was  then  already 
dressed,  and  so  was  the  photographer,  who  had  occupied 
the  room  with  me  during  the  night.  We  followed  Chris 
down-stairs  and  there  found  Mr.  Struce,  who  was  at  this 
moment  standing  with  his  gun  in  hand  ready  to  accompany 
us.  We  had  not  yet  spoken  together;  he  had  learned 
that  Chris  was  engaged  to  take  myself  and  the  artist  to 
Maganetawan,  and  had  determined  to  accompany  us.  He 
had  already  made  an  arrangement  with  Chris,  and  was 
now  ready  to  start,  instead  of  waiting  for  the  Bess  stage 
until  a  late  hour.  He  greeted  us  pleasantly  when  we  came 
into  his  presence  that  morning,  saying,  "Good-morning, 
gentlemen.     I  have  determined  to  travel  with  you  to-day, 


|i:fl 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


XOI 


unless  you  have  some  objection."  I  promptly  assured 
him  that  we  should  be  very  happy  to  have  his  company, 
especially  as  I  recognized  him  as  a  brother  sportsman. 
Here  began  a  very  pleasant  acquaintance. 


..«i 


:  ■     I 


I02 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


I'll. 


ill 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Our  Departure  from  Rosseau— A  Charming  Mornincj  and  a  Healthful 
Walk — Camped  near  Spence — Incidents  which  occurred  there — Joined 
BY  our  Guides — Campkd  on  Birch  Island— Camp-Life  on  Ahmic  Lake — 
Struce  starts  for  Home — The  Balance  of  the  Party  off  on  a  Long 
Tramp- -The  Beaver's  Trysting-Places — The  Photographer's  Sport  near 
Burk's  Falls— Plodding  through  Woods  after  Dark — Thb  Youthful 
Driver — Arrival  at  Sphvnx  Shoot. 


\\'.\  ii 


I.!! 


|ii|' 


i 

■it 

r 

'\      ! 

i 

/;.'       ' 

1 

\ 

^T  was  nearly  five  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
»3d  of  September  when  our  party  took 
departure  from  Rosseau.  The  dark- 
5s  of  night  still  enshrouded  the  earth ; 
the  air  was  cold  and  chilly,  while  the 
ground  was  covered  with  a  heavy 
frost.  Chris's  old  gray  horses,  which 
are  now  at  least  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  moved  forward  just  as  well  as 
they  did  four  years  ago  when  I  rode  behind  them  over  the 
same  route.  The  morning  is  so  chilly  that  Chris,  Struce, 
and  Mildenberger  prefer  to  walk  rather  than  ride  in  this 
wagon,  which  is  not  supplied  with  springs,  over  the  rocky 
mountain  road.  I  have,  therefore,  at  the  request  of  Chris, 
mounted  the  driver's  seat,  wrapped  myself  in  the  horse- 
blankets,  seized  the  reins  and  whip,  and  am  thus  duly  in- 
stalled in  this  new  position. 

The   photographer  and   Mr.  Struce  very  soon    disap- 
peared in  the  darkness  after  leaving  the  hotel,  but  Chris 


1:H:;1; 


OR,    THE  LAKE   LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


lO' 


remained  near  the  team  to  give  me  such  instruction  as  was. 
needed  to  pass  the  team  safely  over  this  road.  The  cold 
was  so  severe  and  the  road  so  rough  that,  having  ridden 
about  three  miles,  I  called  on  Chris  to  resume  the  charge 
of  his  team,  while  I  was  now  ready  to  follow  the  example 
of  my  companion?.  The  gray  dawn  of  the  morning  had 
made  its  appeararce  in  place  of  the  dim  starlight  that  pre- 
vailed at  the  time  we  started  from  Rosseau.  Having 
transferred  the  r-iins  to  Chris  I  descended  from  the  driver's 
seat,  passed  to  die  front  of  the  team,  and  started  forward 
at  a  lively  pace,  determined  to  quickly  overtake  Struce  and 
Mildenberger. 

It  was  probably  about  half  an  hour  before  I  caught 
sight  of  my  companions,  who  were  still  about  a  mile  ahead 
of  me,  and  moving  forward  at  good  speed,  while  the  sun 
was  now  shining  brightly,  lighting  up  the  hill-tops,  causing 
the  frozen  drops  of  water,  which  were  clinging  to  the 
branches  of  leafless  trees,  to  sparkle  with  the  resplendent 
beauty  of  pure  diamonds  in  a  bright  gas-light.  The 
grandeur  of  this  scene  afforded  me  the  purest  joy.  I 
inhaled  this  mountain  air — loaded  with  ozone — as  the 
hungry  man  partakes  of  the  choicest  viands.  The  rapid 
step  at  which  I  was  moving  forward  caused  me  to  expel, 
in  the  first  part  of  my  journey,  the  old  residuary  air  with 
which  the  lungs  of  every  sedentary  person  are  more  or  less 
filledy  thereby  enabling  me  to  seize  and  appropriate  a  very 
large  quantity  of  this  grand  atmospheric  stimulant,  which 
now  caused  the  blood  to  course  rapidly  through  every  part  of 
the  body,  producing  a  joyous  thrill  ir  every  fibre. 

In  this  mental  and  physical  condition  it  was  a  pleasure 


lii'li 


i 


i!: 


''/:!i 


i'M 


Sji 


I04 


TJIK  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


KA  I. 


II  'I 


to  move  rapidly  forward.  The  reader  will  not,  therefore, 
be  surprised  when  informed  that  I  soon  found  myself  in 
the  company  of  my  com(>anions,  who  had  taken  the  lead 
immediately  after  our  departure  from  the  hotel  at  Rosseau. 
We  now  journeyed  on  together,  and  reached  the  "Ten- 
Mile  Lake  Hotel"  before  eight  o'clock.  Here  we  ordered 
breakfast,  which  was  to  be  served  as  soon  as  Chris  should 
arrive  with  his  team  and  our  baggage.  My  companions 
had  walked  this  morning,  without  food  or  stimulants,  ex- 
cept that  supplied  by  an  invigorating  atmosphere,  ten 
miles.  I  had  walked  seven  and  did  not  feel  fatigued.  It 
was  more  than  an  hour  after  our  arrival  here  before 
Chris  came  up  with  his  team. 

The  long  journey  had  fully  prepared  us  to  enjoy  the 
breakfast,  which  consisted,  principally,  of  delicious  venison, 
pure  country  butter,  home-made  bread,  coffee,  and  wild 
honey.  I  am  sure  that  our  entire  party,  this  morning, 
thought  our  breakfast  good  enough  for  a  king. 

Every  article  of  food  placed  before  us  was  of  excellent 
quality,  and  the  serving  could  not  have  been  improved. 
We  complimented  the  hostess  on  her  excellent  table ;  she 
thanked  us  kindly,  and,  having  probably  learned  that  we 
hailed  from  the  United  States,  then  inquired  if  any  one  in 
our  party  was  acquainted  in  New  Hampshire,  which,  she 
now  informed  us,  was  her  native  place.  We  were  com- 
pelled to  answer  her  inquiry  in  the  negative,  but  she  now 
volunteered  the  information  that  she  had  only  lived  in 
Canada  since  her  marriage. 

We  had  already  spent  at  this  wayside  hotel  more  than 
two  hours  ;    the  sun  was  still  shining  brightly,  but  it  was 


11 


SB 


'Mt 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OE  CANADA. 


105 


necessary  for  us  to  go  forward  in  ortl(;r  that  we  might 
reach  the  end  of  our  journey  this  day  before  nightfall. 
We  were  now  about  twenty-seven  miles  from  Maganet- 
awan,  and  nearly  twenty-one  from  Spence,  the  home  of 
Captain  George  Ross,  whom  I  had  engaged  as  our  chief 
guide.  It  is  not  yet  certain  whether  we  shall  remain  to- 
night at  Spence  or  go  on  to  Maganetawan,  inasmuch  as  I 
have  not  consulted  with  the  captain  in  regard  to  our  future 
movements.  The  team  plodded  steadily  along  the  moun- 
tain-road to-day.  Neither  Mr.  Struce  nor  Mildenberger 
have  ridden  in  the  wagon.  They  started  on  foot  and  so 
continue  to  journey  on. 

It  was  about  three  o'clock  when  we  arrived  at  Spence, 
a  small  hamlet,  consisting  of  a  wayside  hotel,  post-office, 
and  about  half  a  dozen  log  cabins.  We  halted  at  the  hotel 
for  our  dinner,  while  Chris  took  this  opportunity  to  {qq(\  his 
team.  Immediately  after  our  arrival  I  succeeded  in  finding 
a  messenger,  whom  I  sent  to  Captain  Ross's  residence, 
which  is  situated  about  one-half  mile  from  the  hotel,  wiin 
instructions  to  bring  him  to  me.  The  messenger  returned, 
after  an  absence  of  about  forty  minutes,  accompanied  by  a 
young  man,  who  informed  me  that  the  captain  was  away 
from  home,  engaged  in  a  deer-hunt,  but  would  certainly 
return  within  a  few  hours,  as  he  was  expecting  the  arrival 
of  my  party  on  the  following  day.  After  a  brief  con- 
sultation with  the  young  man,  who  informed  me  that 
he  was  now  staying  at  the  captain's  house,  and  had  re- 
ceived instructions  prior  to  the  captain's  departure  that 
should  we  arrive  during  his  absence  he — the  young  man 
— was  to  make   us   comfortable,  I  determined  to  halt  at 


I  pfa 


ir'f 


ilr.  :;v 

l! 


i 


■iuJ 


1 1 

'5l 


io6 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE,- 


M   I   1 


\l      'hi' 


this  place,  or  near  it,  and  await  the  return  of  our  guide. 
The  dinner  being  finished  we  again  started  forward,  after 
having  spent  about  an  hour  and  a  liaif  at  the  hotc!.  We 
camped  this  night  in  tiie  woods  near  the  roadside,  about 
one  mile  from  the  hotel  at  Spence  where  we  had  dined,  and 
about  five  miles  from  the  village  of  Maganetawan,  while 
our  tent  was  now  standing  within  forty  rods  of  Ahmic  Lake. 

The  young  man  who  has  already  been  mentioned  as 
having  reported  to  me  on  the  return  of  the  messenger 
whom  I  had  sent  for  the  captain,  after  my  arrival  at  Spence, 
was  now  with  us.  He  had  brought  with  him  from  the  cap- 
tain's cabin  an  axe,  which  is  so  necessary  in  a  hunters 
camp.  Five  minutes  after  our  arrival  on  the  ground  where 
we  had  determined  to  camp,  it  was  plainly  evident  to  me 
that  my  new-made  friend  was  not  a  novice  at  this  sort  of 
work.  He  knew  exactly  what  was  necessary  to  be  done, 
and  was  not  slow  in  giving  assistance.  It  required  but  a 
few  minutes  to  erect  our  tent  and  make  all  the  needed 
preparations  for  the  night ;  but  this  had  scarcely  been  com- 
pleted when  the  rain  commenced  to  fall,  although  the  sky 
had  been  cloudless  when  we  arrived  at  the  hotel  in  Spence. 
The  young  man  proposed  to  bring  us  our  suppers  from  the 
captain's  cabin,  but  this  was  deemed  unnecessary  by  the 
whole  party,  inasmuch  as  we  had  partaken  of  our  dinner  at 
a  late  hour. 

The  first  night  under  the  canvas  was  spent  very  com- 
fortably, while  a  bright  fire  burned  in  front  of  our  open  tent 
until  long  after  midnight.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  a 
heavy  rain-storm  had  set  in,  we  remained  perfectly  dry  and 
serenely  happy. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


107 


September  24. — The  rain  is  still  falling.  The  young 
man  who  was  instructed  by  the  captain  to  look  after  us 
during  his  absence  was  in  camp  with  our  breakfast  soon 
after  seven  o'clock  this  morning.  He  came  provided  with 
the  necessary  cooking  utensils  to  serve  it  hot.  Having 
completed  our  breakfast,  the  photographer  took  up  my  Bal- 
lard rifle  and  asked  the  young  man  to  accompany  him  to 
the  lake.  He  had  not  been  absent  from  the  tent  five  min- 
utes when  I  heard  the  report  of  the  gun ;  other  shots  fol- 
lov/ed  this  ;  seven  had  soon  been  fired.  There  was  a  lapse 
of  probably  about  three  minutes  after  the  last  report  was 
heard  when  Mildenberger  made  his  appearance  before  the 
tent  asking  for  a  shot-gun,  saying  at  the  same  time,  excitedly y 
"  /  have  just  fired  five  shots  at  a  partridge  sitting  on  a  tree, 
and  the  youn^  man  has  fired  two  ;  the  bird  has  not  moved, 
and  1  don't  believe  she  knows  that  she  is  wanted!'  It  has 
previously  been  mentioned  that  Mildenberger  had  served 
in  the  artillery  with  the  German  army  during  the  Franco- 
Prussian  war,  but  these  shots  failed  to  convince  us  that  he 
was  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  rifle.  In  fact,  other  observa- 
tions forced  the  conclusion  that  he  had  not,  prior  to  this, 
been  accustomed  to  the  use  of  even  a  shot-gun.  He 
proved,  however,  to  be  a  very  apt  scholar  in  these  matters, 
and  before  he  left  the  woods  he  was  quite  an  expert  in  the 
use  of  both  the  shot-gun  and  rifle.  I  saw  him  with  the 
shot-gun  handsomely  drop  birds  on  the  wing,  while  with  the 
rifle  he  could  occasionally  knock  off  a  partridge's  head  with- 
out injuring  its  body.  At  the  particular  time  when  he 
required  a  shot-gun  to  compel  the  partridge  to  recognize 
that  she  was  wanted,  the  bird — it  is  thought — became  im- 


%.  iil 


Vi  '\'\\^ 


■n 


:■  \ 


io8 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE. 


in 


n 


patient,  since  Mildenberger  has  not  yet  succeeded  in  finding 
her,  although  he  has  made  long  and  diligent  search. 

The  phrase,  "I  don't  beUeve  she  knows  that  she  is 
wanted,"  became  one  of  very  common  use  in  our  party, 
and  was  applied  on  all  occasions  when  the  ^ame  remained 
jninjured  after  a  shot  was  fired. 

The  rain  continued  to  fall  until  about  ten  o'clock,  when 
the  clouds  showed  some  signs  of  breaking,  and  the  sim 
occasionally  peeped  out  through  an  open  space,  although 
there  was  very  little  clear  sky  visible  during  the  day. 
Struce  and  Mildenberger  succeeded  in  taking  some  fine 
bass  in  Ahmic  Lake  during  the  afternoon.  I  took  a  stroll 
through  the  wood,  accompanied  by  twc  cocker-spaniels, 
which  are  to  take  part  with  us  in  this  campaign.  I  was  not 
fortunate  in  finding  game:  saw  only  a  single  bird. 

Captain  Ross  and  his  nephew  made  their  appearance 
in  our  camp  before  sunset.  The  captain  greeted  me 
pleasantly.  We  had  not  met  during  the  preceding  four 
years,  and  as  he  now  stood  before  me  he  appeared  the 
same  as  when  I  parted  with  him  at  Spence,  in  the  autumn 
of  1880,  after  we  had  finished  that  hunt. 

He  now  introduced  us  to  his  nephew,  George  Ross,  and 
informed  me  that  he  had  engaged  this  man  to  accompany 
us  as  a  guide.  Struce  and  Mildenberger  were  made  ac- 
quainted with  these  men  who  were  to  become  members  of 
our  party.  It  had  also  been  previously  agreed  between 
Struce  and  myself  that  an  additional  guide  would  be  at 
least  desirable  as  long  as  Mr.  Struce  remained  in  our  party. 
I  therefore  made  inquiry  of  the  captain  about  his  brother, 
Wellington,  with  whom  I  was  somewhat  acquainted,  know- 


,,  lii 


\,,  it 


m 


"  I  don't  believe  she  knows  ihat  she  is  wanted." 


no 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S   PARADISE; 


\ 


ii    ' 


,-|i 


ing  that  no  better  guide  could  be  found  in  the  region  of 
Maganetawan.  He  replied,  "  I  think  Wellington  will  be 
able  to  be  with  us  after  a  few  days." 

The  captain,  with  the  assistance  of  his  nephew,  made 
all  the  necessary  arrangements  for  the  night.  Wood  was 
provided,  supper  prepared,  and  the  captain's  tent  put  up. 
In  the  mean  time  it  has  been  arranged  that  a  deer-hunt 
shall  take  place  to-morrow  on  Ahmic  Lake.  The  guides 
will  now  remain  constantly  with  us  in  camp ;  this  will  be  a 
marked  improvement,  and  will  add  much  to  our  happiness 
and  comfort. 

The  party,  as  now  arranged,  consists  of  five  persons, 
and  we  are  provided  with  five  dogs, — two  of  them  intended 
to  be  employed  in  deer-hunting,  while  three  are  cocker- 
spaniels,  used  only  in  bird-she oting.  The  following  morn- 
ing the  sport  commenced  at  an  early  hour,  and  we  were 
back  in  our  camp  before  eleven  o'clock.  Struce  and  my- 
self, with  the  guides,  had  hunted  deer,  while  Mildenberger 
had  started  out  in  search  of  ruffed  sfrouse. 

The  sport  opened  this  morning  fairly  well.  Struce  shot 
a  fawn,  Mildenberger  killed  four  partridges,  and  I  took 
some  bass  while  on  the  way  tc  the  point,  where  I  was 
stationed  by  the  captain  to  watch  for  deer. 

A  good  dinner  was  served  for  us  by  our  guides  on  our 
return  to  camp.  We  had  brought  into  camp  some  delica- 
cies, and  likewise  tin  plates,  tin  cups,  etc. ;  consequently 
our  table  and  culinary  department  were  quickly  placed  on 
a  sound  basis.  The  camp  which  we  had  formed  by  the 
wayside,  immediately  after  our  arrival,  was  thought  to  be 
no  longer  desirable,  and  consequently  our  guides  moved 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


Ill 


our  quarters,  on  the  afternoon  of  September  25,  to  Birch 
Island,  which  is  situated  in  Lake  Ahmic. 

The  photographer  was  at  the  same  time  engaged  in 
taking  some  views  on  this  lake,  while  I  was  absent  search- 
ing for  ruffed  grouse.  We  were  joined  in  the  evening  by 
Wellington  Ross,  who  now  becomes  a  member  of  our  party. 
The  sport  went  on,  from  day  to  day,  in  about  the  same 
manner  as  has  been  already  detailed.  The  evenings  ./ere 
passed  very  pleasantly  before  the  camp-fire ;  the  captain 
and  his  brother,  although  very  modest  men,  have  had  a 
large  experience  in  hunting  and  trapping,  and  they  narrate 
this  experience  in  a  quaint  and  quiet  way,  after  we  finally 
succeed  in  getting  them  started. 

Wellington  has  spent  a  few  years  on  the  Pacific  coast, 
and  describes  the  game  and  the  methods  of  hunting  in  that 
region,  as  well  as  the  nature  of  the  country,  the  timber- 
growths,  etc.  Our  friend  Struce,  who  classes  himself 
among  the  amateur  sportsmen  of  the  United  States,  has 
certainly  sufficient  experience  to  enable  him,  in  camp,  to 
add  his  full  quota  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  party  of  hunters. 
He  tells  a  bear  story  well,  although  he  does  not  even  claim  to 
have  hunted  bruin.  The  captain  has  killed  several  bears, 
but  these  animals  with  which  he  came  in  contact  and 
slaughtered  were,  apparently,  very  well  behaved,  and  died 
without  making  any  unusual  fuss  about  it. 

Thus  day  after  day  was  passed  in  hunting  and  fishing 
and  social  inte'-course  around  the  camp-fire ;  but  at  last  our 
friend  Struce  decided  that  he  could  remain  no  longer  with 
us,  and  that  the  next  day  he  must  take  his  departure  for 
Brooklyn.     It  had  been  intended  by  the  whole  party  that 


r  ~i 


5f    i''"fii 


7"      -''I 


■I 


il!^ 


i  ,i;i  i 


112 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


I 


l» 


1;;; 


our  photographer  should  take  a  camp  picture  prior  to  this 
separation.  That  design,  however,  was  frustrated  by  a 
pouring  rain  that  continued  during  the  whole  day  prior  to 
his  departure,  September  29.  This  morning  was  clear  and 
bright.  We  were  up  and  stirring  before  it  was  fairly  light. 
Having  breakfasted.  Captain  Ross  and  Struce  started  for 
Spence,  where  the  latter  expected  to  meet  the  stage  from 
Maganetawan,  which  was  to  take  him  to  Rosseau  on  his 
way  home.  The  captain's  deer-dogs  have  not  been  in 
camp  for  the  past  twenty-four  hours.  I  speak  of  the 
captain's  AQ.^x-dogs  instead  of  employing  the  word  hounds^ 
for  the  reason  that  there  is  not  a  drop  of  hound  blood  in 
their  veins.  These  dogs  are  really  mongrels,  although  1 
presume  the  collie  breed  predominates.  The  collie  breed 
is  highly  praised  by  all  the  backwoodsmen  with  whom  I 
have  come  in  contact  in  Canada.  He  is  praised  as  a  val- 
uable house-dog,  an  excellent  dog  with  cattle,  and  when 
trained  to  run  deer  some  claim  to  think  him  even  superior 
to  the  hound. 

The  captain's  dogs  were  certainly  very  good  animals. 
When  placed  on  a  deer's  track  they  seldom  failed  to  run 
him  to  water,  but  the  one  fault  which  I  desire  here  to  men- 
tion with  regard  to  this  entire  breed  of  dogs  is,  that  when 
used  in  hunting  deer  they  give  very  little  "  tongue."  This 
one  defect  in  the  dog  deprives  the  sportsman  of  the  ex- 
citement and  pleasure  which  he  would  otherwise  feel  in 
listening  to  the  voice  of  the  running  hound.  To  my  ear 
there  are  few  sounds  more  charming.  I  listen  eagerly  to 
this  music  in  order  to  determine  the  approach  of  the  deer, 
and   the   hound's   loud  voice   on   a   cool,   frosty  morning, 


mk 


\m 


\V. 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


1^3 


although  it  may  be  only  faintly  heard,  serves  to  make  the 
blood  course  more  rapidly  through  my  veins,  while  at  the 
same  time  it  cheers  my  spirits  and  warms  my  body.  Give 
me,  therefore,  the  musical  hound  in  deer-hunting,  instead 
of  the  best  collie  ever  imported  from  old  Scotland. 

The  captain  has  gone  in  search  of  his  pets.  Wellington 
and  George  Ross  are  packing  the  camp  equipage  this 
morning,  that  we  may  be  off  for  Burk's  Falls.  An  ac- 
quaintance of  the  guides,  whom  they  address  as  "  Isaacs," 
has  made  his  appearance  in  our  camp.  He  is  out  search- 
ing for  a  lost  dog.  He  is  urged  by  the  guides  to  take  a 
hand  in  our  moving,  and  finally  consents.  Therefore  a  por- 
tion of  luggage  was  placed  in  his  bateau  for  transportation 
to  Maganetawan,  which  we  reached  about  half-past  nine 
o'clock,  having  travelled  this  morning  in  our  canoe  about 
three  miles. 

These  canoes  and  our  luggage  were  placed  on  the  little 
river  steamer  "  Pioneer,"  which  is  to  take  us  up  the  Maga- 
netawan River  to  Burk's  Falls,  distant  from  this  village 
about  thirty-five  miles. 

The  captain  made  his  appeaiance  soon  after  our  lug- 
gage had  been  loaded  on  the  little  steamer,  but  he  had  not 
succeeded  in  finding  his  lost  dogs.  He  is,  therefore,  com- 
pelled to  remain  behind  and  make  further  search  for  the 
animals,  which  are  indispensable  in  hunting  deer  at  this 
season  of  the  year,  when  the  trees  are  still  covered  with 
leaves.  The  loss  of  deer-hounds  or  other  dogs  that  are 
employed  in  deer-hunting  is  not  an  infrequent  occurrence, 
and  commonly  happens  by  the  dogs  continuing  to  follow  a 

deer  to  some  distant  lake.      The  reader  will  readily  per- 

8 


-  l;^! 


% 


■ 


vli  ' 


N'  i: 


'('  ( 


^)'i 


-4 


114 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


ii 


ceive  by  what  has  already  been  said  that  the  deer  does  not 
always  come  to  the  exact  spot  at  which  the  sportsman  is 
stationed,  or  even  to  the  lake  at  which  he  is  wanted. 

Few  dogs  possess  sufficient  sagacity  to  return  on 
their  own  trail  and  thus  reach  their  master.  I  have  seen 
only  a  single  animal  that  would  uniformly  follow  out  this 
course.  That  dog,  an  animal  called  "  Fan,"  was  the  prop- 
erty of  Dr.  Pokorney,  and  has  already  been  described  in 
this  book. 

When  the  captain  reached  us,  he  soon  learned  that 
his  brother  had  gone  to  his  house  in  the  village  of  Maga- 
netawan,  and  he  promptly  started  to  find  him,  in  order  that 
Wellington  might  accompany  us  in  his  (the  captain's) 
place.  This  arrangement  may  last  only  a  few  days,  or  it 
may  be  a  week  before  the  captain's  search  will  be  rewarded 
b"  finding  his  lost  pets.  We  left  Maganetawan  about 
eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  reached  Burk's  Falls 
before  four  o'clock  p.m. 

The  scenery  along  this  river  is  certainly  very  pictur- 
esque. The  banks  are  covered  with  heavy  forest-trees, 
and  there  are  aquatic  plants  and  bushes  growing  in  the 
shallow  water  along  the  shore.  The  amount  of  clearing 
along  the  banks  of  this  river,  seen  from  the  decks  of  our 
litde  steamer,  was  very  limited  in  the  autumn  of  1884. 
Captain  Ross,  when  descending  the  Maganetawan  in  com- 
pany with  the  author,  in  1880,  pointed  out  to  us  the  very 
spot  where  several  years  ago  he  saw  his  first  moose.  He 
gave  us  a  clear  description  of  the  animal,  and  did  not  seem 
well  pleased  with  himself  because  he  had  failed  to  kill  the 
monster  with  a  single  charge  of  buckshot,  which  he  gave 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


115 


him  with  his  compliments,  this  being  the  best  he  could  do 
under  the  circumstances. 

It  was  during  this  same  trip  down  the  river  that  the 
captain  gready  interested  me  by  the  description  which  he 
gave  of  the  beaver  "  trysting-places."  The  captain  is  cer- 
tainly a  matter-of-fact  man,  possessed  of  no  romantic  ideas, 
and  yet  the  statements  which  he  made  on  this  occasion 
may  seem  to  savor  strongly  of  fiction,  akliough  I  am  fully 
convinced  that  he  believes  in  the  beaver  "  trysting-place," 
and  in  all  the  details  that  he  has  given  pertaining  to  the 
same,  including  even  the  acting  of  the  animals.  The  nar- 
rator commenced  by  saying  that  many  years  ago,  while 
travelling  through  these  woods,  he  discovered  a  mound 
that  had  been  recendy  raised  by  the  heaping  up  of  the 
soft  earth,  the  measurements  of  the  same  being  about  two 
feet  in  diameter  and  about  six  inches  in  height,  while  it  was 
almost  circular  in  outline.  This  mound  bore  the  positive 
impress  of  the  animal  by  which  it  had  been  reared,  and 
this  serves  as  the  beaver's  "  trysting-place." 

In  order  that  we  might  understand  the  nature  and 
necessity  of  the  trysting-places,  the  captain  made  the  fol- 
lowing statement :  "  It  is  chiefly  in  winter  that  the  beavers 
congregate,  and  then  only  a  single  family  occupies  the 
same  lodge  or  house,  although  there  may  be  several  fami- 
lies living  within  the  waters  raised  by  the  dam  that  has 
been  erected  by  their  united  efforts.  The  family  may 
consist  of  a  single  adult,  male  and  female,  or  they  may 
have  with  them  two,  four,  six,  or  eight  of  their  own  off- 
spring, which  have  not  yet  fully  matured.  When,  however, 
these  young  beavers  are  fully  grown,  they  go  forth  from 


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the  parental  roof  in  search  of  a  partner,  with  the  inten- 
tion of  establishing  a  new  home.  It  also  frequently  hap- 
pens that  the  family  circle  has  been  impaired  through  the 
agency  of  the  hunter  or  trapper, — that  the  father  or  mother 
has  been  trapped  or  killed.  Under  these  circumstances 
the  survivor  takes  upon  himself,  or  herself,  the  entire 
charge  of  the  family.  Sooner  or  later,  however,  the  young 
will  mature  and  go  forth  in  search  of  mates,  while  the  adult 
must  again  start  oa  this  journey.  It  is  a  well-recognized 
fact  that  single  beavers  are  sometimes  found  which  live 
apart  from  all  others  of  their  species.  There  are  wan- 
derers which,  during  the  summer  months,  are  travelling 
about,  bent  on  the  accomplishment  of  the  object  of  their 
lives, — impelled  by  a  God-given  power, — seeking  a  coni- 
panion  in  order  to  make  a  home  and  rear  a  family. 
Furthermore,  they  are  strictly  monogamic  in  their  habits, 
and  while  the  first  partner  survives  none  other  is  per- 
mitted to  enter  the  family  circle.  It  is,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, "  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  object  that  the 
mounds  are  erected  by  the  lonely  traveller ;  and  it  is  on 
these  mounds  that  they  declare  to  the  opposite  sex  their 
desire  to  effect  a  union  by  depositing  here  a  small  quan- 
tity of  castoreum,  which  is  generated  in  two  glandular 
pouches  situated  near  the  organs  of  reproduction,  and 
the  odor  of  which  sufficiently  differs  in  the  sexes  to  be 
instantly  recognized  by  these  keen-scented  animals  at  long 
distances.  Therefore  the  wanderer,  without  regard  to  sex, 
is  enabled  to  raise  a  mound,  deposit  thereon  the  lover's 
proclamation,  which  will  be  scented  and  understood  of  the 
opposite  sex  within  a  large  radius,  while  the  suitor,  seeking 


!|j!;I 


OH,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


117 


companionship,  lingers  near  the  '  trysting-place'  until  the 
inamorata  approaches  in  answer  to  the  call." 

If  the  captain  is  correct  in  the  opinion  which  he  has 
expressed  on  this  subject,  may  we  not  fnd  in  his  theory  a 
full  explanation  of  the  fact  that  the  castoreum,  which  trap- 
pers have  lon^  been  accustomed  to  employ  as  a  bait  on  the 
trap  to  lure  the  poor  beaver  to  death,  depends  solely  on 
this  magical  power? 

I  am  aware  of  the  fact  that  the  mounds  mentioned  by 
Captain  Ross  have  not  been  generally  recognized  by  our 
backwoodsmen,  but  this  does  not  materially  impair  the 
force  of  his  statement.  The  captain  does  not  claim  tliat 
they  are  very  numerous,  but  says  that  he  has  seen  several 
such  mounds  in  the  Canadian  wilderness. 

Immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  at  Burk's 
Falls  my  party  proceeded  to  ni^V^e  such  purchases  as  were 
thought  necessary.  A  store  of  provisions  was  laid  in 
sufficient  to  last  the  party  eight  weeks,  with  such  addi- 
tions as  were  expected  to  be  obtained  by  the  use  of  the 
rod  and  gun.  These  purchases  were  made  with  very  little 
loss  of  time. 

We  now  hired  of  the  merchant  from  whom  we  pur- 
chased our  supplies  a  horse  and  wagon  to  take  our  canoes 
and  other  luggage  up  the  north  branch  of  the  Maganetawan 
River,  to  a  point  just  above  Sphynx  Falls.  This  portage 
was  made  necessary  by  the  fact  that  the  river  was  filled 
with  mill-logs  up  to  the  falls  mentioned,  and,  consequently, 
could  not  be  traversed  by  our  canoes.  It  may  be  well  to 
state  in  passing  that  Burk's  Falls  probably  possesses  more 
than   ordinary   attractions   for   business    men   and   others 


1 


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seeking  new  homes  in  this  region.  It  is  the  natural  ter- 
minus of  steamboat  navigation  on  the  Maganetawan  River, 
and  there  is  at  this  point  a  very  great  amount  of  water- 
power  which  may  be  easily  made  available  for  manufac- 
turing purposes.  In  addition  to  all  this,  the  country  about 
here  is  heavily  timbered,  and  the  river  enables  the  lumber- 
man to  bring  the  logs  here  more  cheaply  than  they  can  be 
delivered  at  any  other  point  where  they  would  possess 
the  same  value.  In  other  words,  nature  pomts  to  this  spot 
as  the  most  desirable  one  in  this  entire  district  for  the  con- 
version of  raw  material  into  manufactured  products. 

It  was  about  five  o'clock  when  the  wagon,  loaded  with 
our  canoes  and  other  luggage,  was  ready  to  start  from 
Burk's  Falls  for  Sphynx  Shoot,  which  is  distant  from  the 
former  place  about  three  miles.  The  driver  of  the  wagon, 
a  boy  about  twelve. years  of  age,  had  stood  patiently  by 
the  horse  watching  the  guides  while  they  loaded  our  bag- 
gage. The  moment  this  work  was  completed  he  mounted 
the  wagon,  found  a  seat  on  some  of  our  luggage,  and 
began  to  irge  his  horse  forward.  The  horse  was  not 
much  you.i^er  than  the  boy,  but  both  performed  their  share 
of  the  work  satisfactorily,  while  at  the  start  Wellington 
and  George  Ross  followed  the  wagon  closely  to  prevent 
damage  being  done  to  our  luggage.  The  country  through 
which  this  rough  road  passes  is  made  up  of  rocky  hills  and 
low  marshy  ground,  but  at  this  time,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
it  was  unusually  dry,  we  were  enabled  to  traverse  it  quite 
satisfactorily  until  the  darkness  of  night  began  to  gather 
about  us. 

Mr.   Mildenberger,  the  photographer,  had   started  out 


OR,  r//E  LAKE  L^NDS  OF  CAiVADA. 


119 


slightly  In  advance  of  the  wagon,  accompanied  by  "  Ponto," 
in  search  of  ruffed  grouse.  He  had  not  been  out  ten 
minutes  when  the  barking  of  "  Ponto"  was  heard,  and 
within  the  next  five  minutes  lie  had  fired  two  shots.  A  f''^ 
minutes  later  he  returned  to  the  road  with  '•  Ponto"  at  liL 
heels.  The  author  wai  walking  some  distance  in  advance 
of  the  wagon  which  was  loaded  with  our  baggage,  and  was 
therefore,  at  this  moment,  in  full  view  of  our  amateur 
sportsman,  who  drew  proudly  from  his  pockets  two  fine 
birds  which  he  had  just  shot,  having  killed  them  with  the 
shot-gun.,  since  he  had  not  become  sufficiently  expert  in  the 
use  of  the  rifle  to  be  able  to  convince  a  ruffed  grouse  that 
he  "  was  wanted"  when  the  gun  was  fired. 

The  photographer  now  sent  "  Ponto"  once  more  into 
the  woods.  Soon  after  a  loud  and  lively  barking  was 
heard,  and  our  amateur  sportsman  was  again  quickly  lost 
to  our  sight;  had  gone  again  into  the  dense  woods  that 
form  the  boundary  on  either  side  of  the  rough  country 
road  throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  whole  distance 
between  Burk's  Falls  and  Pickerel  Lake.  The  sound  of 
his  gun  >vas  again  heard ;  the  dog  soon  after  this  rushed 
once  more  across  our  front,  but  quickly  returned  to  a  spot 
not  far  distant  from  where  the  last  shot  was  fired.  In  a 
few  moments  the  sound  of  another  slwt  resounded 
throughout  the  forest ;  the  photographer  is  already  flushed 
with  victory.  Shot  after  shot  is  heard.  Darkness  was  ap- 
proaching and  he  was  soon  compelled  to  return  from  the 
woods,  because  it  was  so  dark  that  he  could  no  longer  see 
the  game  ;  but  he  was  not  satisfied,  although  he  had  killed 
six  beautiful  birds  in  somewhat  less  than  an  hour.      He 


l! 


T::  n 


I  i 


!'! 


Il- 


tl  '  '   ^|il 


I  20 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


complained  that  darkness  had  so  soon  cut  short  his 
sport. 

He  was  now  compelled  to  walk  in  the  centre  of  the  road, 
by  the  side  of  the  author.  Onward  they  trudged  while  the 
twilight  was  rapidly  disappearing.  The  rumbling  sounds 
of  the  wagon  were  occasionally  heard  in  our  rear,  while  the 
guides  were  aiding  our  youthful  driver.  The  stars  had  be- 
come visible,  but  the  moon  had  not  condescended  to  make 
her  appearance. 

Large  trees  stood  in  close  proximity  to  the  wagon-path. 
Some  had  fallen  across  it.  The  woodman's  axe  had  in 
some  cases  cut  its  way  through  the  trunk  of  the  fallen 
giant  of  the  forest,  while  the  hardy  son  of  toil  had  rolled 
the  obstruction  to  one  side  to  allow  a  vehicle  to  pass.  In 
other  instances  the  fallen  trunk,  being  somewhat  smaller, 
had  not  been  removed,  and  the  driver  was  compelled  to 
pass  over  it,  or  if  the  condition  of  the  ground  at  this  point 
was  favorable,  a  road  would  be  made  around  the  obstruc- 
tion, while  in  those  cases  where  a  tree  had  fallen  since  the 
last  vehicle  had  passed,  the  driver  was  left  to  solve  the 
question  in  accordance  v/ith  his  own  judgment. 

Another  troublesome  condition  arose  from  the  frequent 
intersection  of  this  road  by  the  so-called  "log  roads," — 
roads  cut  for  the  purpose  of  removing  the  white  pine  mill- 
logs  which  had  been  recently  cut  in  this  section.  These 
roads  resembled  greatly  the  one  on  which  we  were  now 
travelling,  and  consequently,  in  the  existing  darkness,  we 
found  ourselves  wandering  off  into  these  by-roads.  In 
order  to  avoid  as  far  as  possible  this  annoyance,  the  photog- 
rapher, George  Ross,  and  myself  kept  in  advance,  lighting 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


121 


our  way  as  well  as  we  could  with  matches,  moving  along 
cautiously,  with  one  or  both  hands  extended  before  our 
eyes  when  left  in  total  darkness.  In  spite  of  these  pre- 
cautions we  strayed  frequently  from  the  proper  road  off 
on  these  by-roads,  often  calling  to  each  other  in  order  to 
prevent  too  great  separation.  In  the  mean  while  Welling- 
ton remained  b)'  the  wagon  to  assist  our  youthful  driver. 

Nearly  two  nours  had  been  spent  in  this  toilsome  man- 
ner when  a  shout  from  the  photographer  announced  the 
glad  tidings  that  he  had  found  a  log  cabin  that  was  in- 
habited. He  called  loudly  to  me ;  I  shouted  back  to  him, 
having  strayed  off  on  a  log  road  about  one -fourth  of  a 
mile  from  the  road  leading  to  Pickerel  Lake  (the  road  tha<: 
we  wished  to  follow),  but  failed  to  make  myself  heard  by 
Mr.  Mildenberger,  although  I  heard  him.  He  had  learned 
at  the  cabin  that  we  were  just  above  Sphynx  Shoot,  or 
Falls,  and  that  the  river  was  only  a  few  rods  from  the  cabin 
and  to  the  right  of  the  road. 

The  photographer  was  now  joyful ;  he  rushed  into  the 
woods  in  search  of  the  author,  shouting  at  the  top  of  his 
voice,  "  This  way !  This  way  !"  I  soon  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing him  understand,  and  then  shouted  back  to  him,  "  Stand 
where  you  are !"  He  did  not  obey  the  injunction,  but  con- 
tinued to  advance  towards  me.  We  were  soon  so  near 
each  other  as  to  be  able  to  speak  in  an  ordinary  voice, 
while  at  the  same  time  we  could  easily  understand  each 
other.  We  finally  met,  and  he  conducted  me  back  to  the 
cabin.  We  found  this  surrounded  by  a  few  acres  of  newly- 
cleared  land,  the  clearing  extending  to  the  inver,  and  even 
to  the  point  above  the  falls  that  we  desired  to  reach. 


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122 


Tff£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


The  wagon,  accompanied  by  Wellington,  came  up  soon 
after  our  return,  but  George  Ross  could  be  heard  plunging 
through  the  brush  a  few  rods  from  the  road.  He,  too,  had, 
like  myself,  strayed  off  on  a  wood  road,  but  had  heard  the 
photographer's  shouts,  and  these  guided  his  return.  The 
fence  surrounding  the  clearing  was  opened  so  as  to  allow 
our  wagon  to  enter;  we  were  bound  to  reacli  the  river  to- 
night. The  horse  and  wagon  passed  cautiously  over  the 
cleared  fields,  while  Wellington  held  his  p'^st  on  the  right 
of  the  wagon,  and  George  had  taken  a  po.^i   ^.i  on  the  left. 

Our  canoes  and  other  luggage  had  reached  the  objec- 
tive-point and  were  quickly  taken  from  the  wagon.  The 
boy  driver  had  quietly  unharnessed  his  horse  and  turned 
him  loose  to  graze  in  the  field.  The  chief  cultivated 
articles  now  remaining  ungathered  in  this  clearing  were 
the  turnips.  I  asked  the  boy  how  he  was  to  get  back  to 
Burk's  Falls  to-night.  He  replied,  "  I  shan't  try  to  get 
back  there  to-night.  Ise  going  to  stay  with  you  all."  The 
reply  to  the  brave  boy  was,  "That  is  right.  We  >  "Ij  give 
you  something  to  eat,  and  you  can   make  a  be<  the 

ground  where  we  all  sleep." 

A  large  pfle  of  logs  was  found  which  had  been  heaped 
up  for  burning  when  the  ground  was  cleared ;  but  the  fire 
had  failed  to  consume  them,  consequendy  it  was  only  ne- 
cessary to  rearrange  them  and  apply  the  match.  This  was 
done ;  a  grand  illMmination  followed,  the  field  was  lighted 
around  us,  the  silvery  surface  of  the  river  v)as  now  visible  ;  a 
good  supper  was  quickly  made  ready,  a  rubber  poncho  was 
spread  on  the  ground  and  served  as  a  table ;  we  ate,  drank, 
and  were  happy.     When  the  meal  was  finiched  we  spread 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


123 


our  blankets  on  the  ground,  and  with  the  starry  canopy 
above  us  were  able  to  sleep  soundly  without  canvas  or  any 
other  artificial  shelter.  ^ 

The  boy  remained  with  us,  enjoying  well  the  food,  but 
when  our  blankets  were  spread  out  he  showed,  by  his 
manner,  a  disinclination  to  camp  in  the  open  air,  and  soon 
after  said,  "  I  think  I  will  go  to  the  cabin  ;  I  have  a  cousin 
there."  He  immediately  started  off,  returning  a  little 
after  daylight  the  next  morning.  He  breakfasted  with  us, 
harnessed  his  horse,  and  was  off  at  an  early  hour  for 
Burk's  Falls. 

When  thinking  of  the  boy's  coolness  and  forethought,  I 
could  not  avoid  comparing  him  with  our  city  boys  of  the 
same  age,  and  the  only  comment  which  I  will  here  make  is, 
that  this  youthful  driver  is  now  receiving  an  education  that 
prepares  him  thoroughly  for  a  life  in  this  wild  country. 


>  ,111 


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124 


TJIE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


CHAPTER    VII. 


mv 


%  i  I  -.n 


The  Movements  of  our  Hunting-Par :y— Crossing  the  Hor-ka-por-ka  Port- 
age— Fishing  in  Rock  Lake — Anothkr  Advance — Deer-Hunting,  etc. — 
The  Journey  from  Trout  Lake  to  Long  Lake — Camp  on  Long  Lake — 
More  Deer-Hunting — An  Exciting  Contest,  in  which  the  Photographer 
Wins. 


h}'< 


it 


ARLY  in  the  morning  of  September  30 
we  were  up  and  stirring.  The  daylight 
had  not  yet  made  its  appearance,  but  the 
grand  fire  kindled  last  evening  was  still 
burning  brightly.  There  was  a  very  heavy 
frost  last  night,  but  we  did  not  suffer  from 
the  cold ;  being  wrapped  in  our  blankets  we 
slept  nicely.  The  breakfast  was  prepared 
by  our  guides  ;  the  photographer  and  myself  had  made  our 
morning  toilets  while  standing  on  a  rock  that  projected  into 
the  river,  having  brought  to  this  spot  soap,  towels,  tooth- 
brushes, hair-brushes,  combs,  etc.  This  labor  was  per- 
formed in  the  gray  dawn  of  the  morning,  and  when  com- 
pleted we  repaired  to  die  breakfast,  which  had  been  spread 
for  us  on  the  rubber  poncho  in  the  usual  style. 

The  packing  of  our  luggage  followed  our  morning 
meal.  The  canoes  were  placed  in  the  water  and  loaded 
ready  for  the  start.  It  had  been  previously  decided  that 
the  photographer  and  myself  should  walk  through  the 
woods  to  Pickerel  Lake,  while  the  guides  paddled  the 
canoes  up  the  river  to  the  same  point.      The  only  diffi- 


■ill 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


125 


culty  that  we  anticipated  was  that  of  following  the  stream 
through  the  wilderness  up  to  the  lake.  It  is  true  that  we 
were  provided  with  a  compass,  but  this  instrument  pos- 
sessed little  value  for  us  here,  since  there  was  some  ques- 
tion in  regard  to  the  direction  we  ought  to  take.  The  lake 
was  thought  to  be  distant  from  Sphynx  Falls  about  five 
miles,  and  it  was  considered  very  desirable  to  reach  it  at  an 
early  hour  in  the  day,  in  order  that  we  might  cross  over  to 
Mossup's  Landing  and  make  a  start  the  same  day  on  the 
crossing  of  the  Hor-ka-por-ka  Portage.  The  guides  be- 
fore pushing  the  canoes  from  the  shore  that  morning  at 
Spliynx  Falls  gave  us  such  information  as  they  possessed, 
and  when  the  good-by  had  been  said  they  were  off  on  the 
water,  ai.d  we  turned  into  the  forest.  We  found  some 
ruffed  grouse,  but  no  other  game  during  our  morning 
tramp. 

We  wandered  about  much  in  the  wilderness,  and  visited 
the  river  frequently  to  determine  whether  we  were  travel- 
ling in  the  rig^^t  direction.  Thus  vv-e  were  enabled  ♦id  de- 
termine our  course,  and  finally  reached  Harvey's  Bridge, 
near  Pickerel  Lake,  about  one  o'clock  p.m. 

Few  incidents  occurred  during  this  long  walk,  and  none 
of  sufficient  importance  to  be  worthy  of  mention  here. 
The  morning  was  bright  and  beautiful,  but  before  noon 
clouds  had  made  their  appearance  and  rain  began  to  fall. 
The  rain,  however,  did  not  continue  for  more  than  two 
hours,  when  the  sun  reappeared  and  filled  our  hearts  with 
joy.  This  walk  had  been  through  the  woods,  including 
swamps  and  rocky  hills,  while  our  pathway  was  obstructed 
with  much  fallen  timber. 


m 


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126 


T//E  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


w:  ■ 


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We  had  expected  to  meet  our  guides  at  Harvey's 
Bridge,  where  they  had  agreed  to  await  our  arrival,  should 
they  reach  that  point  in  advance  of  us  ;  therefore  their  ab- 
sence at  the  time  of  our  arrival  satisfied  us  that  we  were 
in  the  advance.  It  was  nearly  an  hour  before  they  made 
their  appearance  with  the  luggage  and  canoes.  We  im- 
mediately took  places  in  the  bark  canoes,  and  were  pad- 
dled over  to  Mossup's  Landing,  the  southern  extremity  of 
the  Hor-ka-pc/-ka  Portage,  which  connects  Pickerel  Lake 
with  Rock  Lake ;  points  which  are  said  to  be  distant  from 
each  other  only  three  miles,  but  I  am  sure  that  I  walked 
more  than  six  miles  the  first  time  that  I  made  the  tour. 

The  portage  crosses  over  the  top  of  Ball  Mountain, 
and  as  you  approach  Rock  Lake  you  are  compelled  to 
traverse  an  alder  swamp  about  one-half  mile  in  width. 
This  portage  has  been  greatly  improved  since  I  crossed  for 
the  first  time,  in  1880.  The  underbrush  has  been  cut  out 
and  some  of  the  more  troublesome  obstructions  overcome, 
or  at  least  greatly  lessened. 

The  southern  end  of  this  portage  is  now  passable  for 
an  ox-team  with  a  jumper  for  a  distance  somewhat  less 
than  a  mile ;  consequently  we  had  hoped  to  find  Mossup 
able  to  give  us  a  start  on  this  part  of  our  journey  with  his 
oxen.  In  this  matter,  however,  we  were  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment, inasmuch  as  our  friend  was  not  provided  with 
the  necessary  vehicle.  The  luggage,  including  the  canoes, 
with  which  we  were  now  burdened,  it  was  thought  would 
weigh  about  one  thousand  pounds, — no  unimportant  impe- 
dimenta ;  and,  consequently,  the  task  of  transporting  all 
this  across  the  portage  seemed  formidable  to  us  when  we 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


127 


learned  from  Mossup  that  he  could  not  render  assistance 
with  his  team. 

The  guides  had  firmly  counted  on  this  aid,  and  for  this 
purpose  sought  out  Mossup  immediately  after  our  arrival 
at  this  end  of  the  portage.  I  did  not  deem  it  wise  to  hesi- 
tate, noi  to  attempt  to  transfer  our  luggage  to  Rock  Lake 
without  additional  assistance ;  and  therefore  immediately 
employed  Mossup  and  his  son  to  aid  us  in  making  the 
transit.  This  question  having  been  settled,  we  started  off 
with  our  packs,  properly  arranged,  to  travel  as  much  of  the 
Hor-ka-por-ka  Portage  as  we  might  before  nightfall.  The 
guides  selected  a  camping-ground  about  three-fourths  of  a 
mile  from  Mossup's  Landing,  and  made  two  trips  over  this 
portion  of  the  portage.  The  photographer  and  myself  did 
not  return  with  them  when  they  made  the  second  trip,  but 
went  in  search  of  ruffed  grouse,  which  were  found  in  great 
abundance  around  Mossup's  small  clearing.  We  spent  a 
pleasant  night  in  camp,  and  were  moving  with  the  first 
appearance  of  the  gray  day  in  the  morning. 

Having  learned  on  the  previous  evening  that  there  was 
another  settler  in  the  vicinity  of  Mossup's  who  would  prob- 
ably be  willing  to  assist  us  in  portaging,  I  sent  for  him,  and 
he  made  his  appearance  in  camp  very  soon  after  daylight, 
joined  us  at  cur  breakfast,  and  tramped  with  us  on  the 
trail.  Our  party  now  consisted  of  seven  members,  and  it 
was  a  pleasing  sight,  when  standing  on  some  high  moun- 
tain rock,  to  look  down  on  these  sturdy  men  who  were  toil- 
ing patiently  up  the  mountain-side.  The  author  had  started 
out  from  camp  in  the  morning  burdened  with  two  rifles, 
three  shot-guns,  and  a  fishing-rod,  while  the  photographer. 


'(i'f 


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128 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE. 


who  followed  him,  was  carrying  a  much  heavier  load.  The 
guides  were  each  supposed  to  carry  a  pack  weighing  about 
one  hundred  pounds,  and  the  settler,  whom  he  had  just 
employed,  about  the  same  amount.  The  settler,  Emerson, 
who  made  his  appearance  this  morning,  is  the  largest  man 
in  the  party,  and  he  seems  to  possess  about  as  much 
strength  as  an  ordinary  pack-mule.  These  backwoodsmen 
are  generally  very  strong  men  and  thoroughly  accustomed 
to  carrying  heavy  packs,  while  at  the  same  time  they  are 
satis^ad  with  a  moderate  compensation,  one  dollar  being 
the  amount  always  demanded  when  meals  are  furnished  to 
the  laborer. 

The  chief  guide,  however,  does  not  rank  as  a  laborer, 
and  he  is  commonly  paid  about  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents 
or  three  dollars  per  diem,  furnishing  the  canoes  and  the 
necessary  dogs,  but  his  assistants  are  paid  one  dollar  a  day. 

It  was  now  the  first  day  of  October ;  the  sky  was  clear 
and  the  sun  was  shining  brightly,  while  we  toiled  up  the 
side  of  Ball  Mountain,  with  happy  anticipations  of  grand 
sport  that  would  amply  compensate  us  for  all  this  toil.  In 
due  time  we  reached  the  mountain-top,  where  a  halt  was 
called,  that  we  might  view  the  surrounding  country  and 
admire  its  strange  beauty.  The  photographer  here  deter- 
mined to  take  a  view  showing  our  party  as  we  appeared  at 
this  moment. 

This  illustration  is  intended  to  show  the  party  as  they 
appeared  when  carrying  their  burdens  on  the  Ho-ka-por-ka 
Portage ;  and,  consequently,  young  Mossup  is  seen  stand- 
ing beneath  the  canoe,  which  is  held  in  the  same  position  as 
it  is  carried,  while  Emerson  is  supporting  on  his  shoulders 


n 

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130 


TJIB  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


a  sack  of  flour  which  weighed  one  hundred  pounds.  It 
should  now  be  understood  that  we  have  left  civilization 
behind  us ;  that  our  eyes  are  turned  towards  the  grand 
wilderness  which  we  are  about  entering,  and  that  within  it 
we  are  bound  to  remain  six  or  eight  weeks  without  seeing 
a  human  habitation.  The  photographer  has  caught  up  this 
view — this  grand  wilderness — and  fixed  it  on  paper,  that  I 
may  present  it  to  the  interested  reader  who  has  concluded 
to  follow  us  in  our  ramble, — to  camp  with  us  in  the  forest. 

The  author  and  the  photographer  reached  Rock  Lake 
about  eleven  o'clock,  closely  followed  by  the  guides  and 
their  assistants  ;  but  this  was  only  their  first  trip,  while  one- 
half  of  our  luggage  still  remained  on  the  top  of  the 
mountain.  Consequendy,  after  a  brief  rest,  Wellington, 
George,  Emerson,  and  Mossup,  Sr.,  returned  to  bring  up 
the  balance.  I  retained  young  Mossup  to  paddle  a  canoe 
for  me  while  I  fished  in  the  lake. 

The  trout-fishing  was  grand,  and  I  caught  a  fine  lot  of 
these  beauties,  while  the  photographer  was  taking  a  view 
of  this  lake  and  the  guides  and  their  assistants  were  bring- 
ing down  the  balance  of  our  iuggage. 

We  dined  about  two  o'clock,  on  lake-trout,  just  taken 
from  the  water.  After  dinner,  Emerson,  Mossup,  and  son 
returned  to  their  homes,  while  our  party  proceeded  to  cross 
Rock  Lake,  which  is  connected  by  a  half-mile  portage  with 
Mud  Lake.  We  reached  the  latter  lake  about  four  o'clock, 
bui  much  of  our  luggage  remained  behind  on  Rock  LF^ke 
and  must  be  brought  over  this  half-mile  portage  before  we 
can  proceed  farther  on  our  journey. 

We  succeeded  in  crossing  Mud  Lake,  and  camped  on 


OR,   THE  LAKE   LANDS   OF   CANADA. 


131 


the  portage  between  the  latter  and  Loon  Lake.  Mud  Lake 
is  a  small  body  of  water,  probably  about  half  a  mile  in 
leno-th,  and  the  portage  which  connects  this  lake  with  Loon 
Lake  does  not  much  exceed  the  same  distance. 

Captain  George  Ross,  who  had  parted  with  us  at  the 
village  of  Maganetawan  to  hunt  up  his  dogs  which  had 
strayed  away,  joined  us  this  morning,  October  2,  in  our 
camp  near  Mud  Lake,  before  we  had  breakfasted.  He  has 
brought  the  dogs  back  with  him,  and  we  can  now  engage  in 
a  deer-hunt  whenever  it  is  thought  best.  Still-hunting  is 
impracticable  until  the  leaves  have  fallen,  which  has  not  yet 
occurred,  and  consequently  the  dogs  are  required  for  the 
purpose  of  enabling  us  to  orovide  for  the  wants  of  our 
camp. 

We  broke  camp  at  an  early  hour  and  started  off  for 
Loon  Lake,  which  was  reached  in  aue  time.  This  lake  is 
probably  a  litde  more  than  two  miles  in  length,  and  is 
separated  from  Grass  Lake  by  a  narrow  strip  of  land 
which  does  not  exceed  more  than  eight  rods  in  width ;  con- 
sequently the  portage  is  traversed  in  a  few  moments. 

The  captain  brought  to  our  camp  this  morning  another 
canoe.  We  have  with  us  at  this  dme  three  canoes.  The 
luggage  was  promptly  carried  over  to  Loon  Lake  this 
morning,  loaded  into  our  canoes,  in  which  we  promptly 
embarked,  and  were  paddled  by  our  guides  up  the  lake  to 
the  narrow  neck  of  land,  which  has  been  previously  men- 
tioned ;  crossed  the  same,  and  at  once  started  forward  on 
the  smooth  water  of  Grass  Lake.  We  encamped  at  one 
o'clock  on  the  west  shore  of  this  body  of  water,  near  its 
northern  extremity.     The  camp  is  situated  in  the  woods, 


'rti' 
iii 


132 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE. 


1 1 


i!  W 


only  a  few  rods  from  the  water's  edge,  tluis  affording  a 
very  picturesque  view  of  the  lake  and  rising  sun.  It  re- 
quired only  a  few  moments  to  erect  our  tent  and  make  the 
camp,  and  the  next  labor  which  followed  was  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  dinner.  This  was  disposed  of  and  a  deer-hunt 
promptly  inaugurated  by  Wellington,  who  started  into  the 
woods  with  the  dogs  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
The  captain  and  Mildenberger  watched  the  northern  ex- 
tremity of  the  lake  while  George  and  I  went  to  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  same.  These  points  are  separated  by  some- 
thing more  than  one  mile ;  nevertheless  we  heard  distincUy 
the  sound  of  Mildenberger's  gun  when  '  '  shot  the  deer  just 
as  it  broke  from  cover  and  before  it  ent  the  water. 

The  author  soon  after  this  returned  to  camp,  where  he 
found  the  happiest  man  on  the  American  continent  (at  that 
particular  moment),  an  amateur  sportsman,  who  had  just 
won  his  grandest  triumph, — had  killed  larger  game  than  can 
now  be  found  in  any  part  of  Germany.  The  ambitious 
military  officer  zoho  has  just  wo7i  his  Jirst  grand  victory  could 
7iot  be  happier. 

The  photographer  in  his  childhood  dreams  had  never 
anticipated  so  grand  a  success  as  a  sportsman.  The  deer 
that  he  had  just  killed  was  not  ruthlessly  slaughtered  in 
the  water,  but  was  struck  by  the  deadly  missile  while  still  in 
the  air,  and  only  a  few  seconds  after  it  broke  cover. 
-  It  is  now  fashionable  for  our  sporting  papers  to  con- 
demn entirely  the  use  of  dogs  in  deer-hunting,  not  even 
admitting  that  the  question  is  one  which  might  properly  be 
discussed ;  thus  certain  harpists  seek  to  become  authorities 
in  all  these  matters. 


I 


♦u 


:^y 


'  ■Its 


"  He  shot  the  deer  just  as  it  broke  from  cover." 


l 

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1 

m 


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m  II H 


iii^ 


i'i  :i 


::il  I; 


134 


TIl£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


Every  sportsman  will  cheerfi'lly  admit  that  the  taking 
of  game  ought  to  be  restricted  within  certain  limits.  What 
are  these  limits?  In  order  to  speak  intelligently  on  this 
question  it  is  very  necessary  that  the  speaker  should  be 
familiar  with  the  localities  in  which  the  game  is  found,  the 
various  methods  employed  for  its  capture,  the  necessities 
of  the  people  inhabiting  the  game  regions,  and  the  condi- 
tion of  the  game  at  the  various  seasons  at  which  it  is 
hunted.  In  those  localities  where  the  game  is  already  very 
scarce  it  may  be  nighly  important  for  the  sportsman  and 
other  interested  parties  to  limit,  or  even  entirely  stop,  the 
destruction  for  certain  periods. 

Although  the  interests  of  the  sportsman  are  commonly 
identical  with  those  of  the  inhabitants  residing  in  game 
countries,  nevertheless  the  necessities  of  the  latter  may  be 
such  as  to  know  no  bounds.  In  the  district  of  Muskoka, 
Canada,  it  is  safe  to  assert  that  fifty  deer  are  killed  by  the 
still-hunters  where  one  is  killed  after  having  been  run  by 
dogs,  either  on  the  run-ways  or  in  the  water.  The  deer 
killed  on  the  run-ways  and  in  the  water  are  usually  con- 
sumed in  the  sportsman's  camp,  and  if  the  price  of  this 
venison  were  determined  by  the  money  outlay  made  by 
this  class  of  men  while  seeking  the  game,  it  would  probably 
vary  from  twenty-five  cents  to  one  dollar  per  pound. 

The  deer  killed  by  the  still-hunter  in  this  region  is 
generally  consumed  in  the  lumber  camps,  where  it  is  sold 
for  four  or  five  cents  per  pound. 

The  g«'eat  body  of  the  sportsmen  entering  the  district 
of  Muskoka  are  residents  of  the  United  States,  and  would 
not  remain  in  this  climate  during  the  cold  months  of  au- 


<  ,11 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


135 


tumn  and  wiriLer,  when  still-hunting  can  be  advantageously 
practised;  while  the  venison  is  in  better  condition  during 
September  than  in  any  other  month  of  the  year.  Further- 
more, the  music  of  the  hounds  when  running  deer  gives 
an  additional  pleasure  to  the  sportsman.  In  this  section  of 
country,  were  it  possible  to  prevent  the  sale  of  venison  in 
lumber  camps,  the  deer,  which  are  now  very  abundant,  would 
soon  become  more  numerous  than  sheep  have  ever  been 
on  the  hills  of  Vermont,  even  though  the  pioneer  hunters 
are  permitted  to  kill  deer  at  will,  and  the  true  sportsman 
allowed  to  continue  to  hound  the  game. 

It  has  not  been  my  intention  to  discuss  thoroughly  the 
question  that  I  raised ;  this  would  require  more  time  and 
space  than  I  can  give  to  the  consideration  of  the  subject ; 
but  I  desired  rather  to  direct  the  reader's  attention  to  it, 
hoping  thereby  to  arouse  thought  on  this  and  other  kin- 
dred topics. 

We  continued  the  deer-hunt  on  October  3,  notwith- 
standing a  drizzling  rain,  which  continued  to  fall  during  the 
most  of  the  day.  This  day  there  were  two  deer  killed, 
although  I  find  that  nothing  happened  of  any  particular 
interest  or  worthy  of  notice  here.  The  following  day 
Wellington  Ross,  who  had  been  with  us  almost  constandy 
since  our  arrival  in  the  district  of  Muskoka,  took  his  de- 
parture for  home.  He  had  shared  with  us  the  pleasures 
of  the  hunt  and  served  us  faithfully  as  a  guide.  The  other 
members  of  the  party  engaged  during  the  forenoon  in  an 
unsuccessful  deer-hunt.  The  afternoon  was  spent  by  the 
photographer  and  George  in  making  negatives  about  the 
lake,  while  the  captain  went  with  me  in   search  of  ruffed 


-i; 


'if 


<*  I 


m 


136 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


■fli 

I 


(«,. 


•i 


I- 

li; 


I'll ' 


l!;l 


W 


grouse,  in  which  we  were,  however,  unsuccessful,  ruffed 
grouse  not  being  as  abundant  here  as  they  were  about 
Mossup's  and  Rock  Lake.  During  our  stay  on  these  lakes 
we  discovered  a  beaver-house  which  was  at  this  time  occu- 
pied by  a  family  of  beavers.  I  spent  a  part  of  one  evening 
with  the  captain  watching  for  this  interesting  family,  the 
members  of  which  never,  or  at  least  very  rarely,  make  their 
appearance  in  the  waters  about  their  house  much  before 
sunset.  We  arrived  on  the  water  in  proximity  to  this 
dwelling  at  the  proper  time,  but  failed  to  see  the  beaver, 
although  the  captain  says  the  acute  animal  saw  us.  The 
statement  was  based  on  the  fact  that  we  heard  a  sound 
which  the  captain  recognized  as  the  beaver's  alarm-signal, 
which  is  followed  by  the  rapid  disappearance  of  the  master 
of  ceremonies,  who  neither  reappears  nor  permits  any  of 
the  members  to  show  themselves  for  several  hours  after 
the  alarm  has  been  sounded.  We  remained  here,  keeping 
perfectly  quiet  for  about  an  hour,  but  heard  nothing  more. 

It  was  after  dark  when  we  reached  the  camp,  but  we 
were  informed  on  our  return  that  a  flock  of  wild  geese  had 
passed  over  it,  going  southward.  The  sight  of  the  geese 
so  affected  George  Ross  that  he  caught  up  his  Winchester 
rifle  and  sent  several  bullets  after  them,  although  the  pho- 
tographer thinks  that  their  flying  was  not  in  any  manner 
inconvenienced  by  the  shooting  of  our  guide. 

The  afternoon  of  the  5th  of  October  was  spent  in 
making  preparations  for  our  departure  on  the  morning  of 
the  6th  for  Long  Lake.  We  had  killed  more  deer  while 
in  this  camp  than  we  had  consumed.  The  captain  placed 
>yne-half  of  the  largest  deer  that  we  had  killed  in  his  canoe 


I 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


^n 


and  carried  it  to  a  poor  widow  who  lived  several  miles 
from  the  camp.  He  also  sent  for  other  setders,  who  ap- 
peared and  carried  away  all  our  surplus  game.  Conse- 
quendy,  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  we  were  ready  to 
strike  our  tents  and  move  forward  to  new  fields  of  sport. 

There  had  been  a  thunder-storm  during  the  night 
prior  to  our  departure,  but  the  morning  was  clear,  with  a 
strong  breeze.  We  broke  camp  about  8.20  a.m.  and  went 
to  the  head  of  Grass  Lake,  en  route  for  Long  Lake,  reach- 
ing the  latter  point  at  one  o'clock,  having  crossed  three 
small  lakes  and  four  short  portages.  We  dined  at  the 
foot  of  this  lake,  and  after  dinner  paddled  up  to  the  head 
of  the  same,  where  we  encamped.  Our  camp  is  very 
pleasanriy  situated  in  a  dense  forest,  but  also  quite  near 
the  lake-shore.  During  the  afternoon  the  captain  and 
myself  toik  a  stroll  about  a  beaver-dam  at  the  head  of 
the  lake  in  search  of  beaver.  We  succeeded  in  finding 
one  family  here.  We  also  trolled  a  portion  of  the  time 
that  we  were  absent  from  camp,  and  caught  six  fine  lake- 
trout. 

We  are  now  in  the  virgin  forest,  where  the  lumberman 
has  not  destroyed  its  original  beauty  by  the  removal  of  a 
single  pine-tree.  Here  we  see  nature  in  all  her  wildness 
and  enchanting  beauty.  Here  the  landscape  is  clothed  in 
nature's  robes  of  green  during  the  spring  and  summer 
months,  dotted  here  and  there  with  her  silvery  lakes  and 
rivers,  while  in  autumn  she  adds  to  these  charming  colors 
her  lovely  golden  tints. 

The  lover  of  nature  cannot  resist  the  grandeur,  the 
enchanting  beauty,  and  overwhelming  sense  of  his  obliga- 


t  '(ill 


:"1 


r  ,tlf 

\    'i!; 

i    11' 


138 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


III! 


tions  to  Deity,  when  he  travels  along  nature's  highways 
and  views  this  magnificent  scenery.  It  is  a  more  eloquent 
and  forcible  sermon  than  has  ever  been  preached  from  any 
pulpit  in  Christendom. 

It  is,  to  me,  a  sincere  regret  that  I  cannot  picture  to 
the  mind  of  the  reader  the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  these 
scenes ;  and  likewise  that  I  cannot  convey  to  him  the  un- 
speakable pleasures  and  the  gratitude  which  I  felt  while 
worshipping  at  nature's  shrine  in  these  grand  forests.  I 
sincerely  wish  that  the  whole  world  could  enjoy  these 
things  as  I  enjoyed  them ;  but  neither  the  author  nor  the 
photographer  can  present  them  with  nature's  power. 

Having  spent  the  day  very  pleasantly,  surrounded  with 
novel  scenes,  we  retired  early  to  our  tents  for  repose ;  but 
sounds  which  were  novel  to  my  ears  soon  aroused  me  from 
my  slumbers,  and  I  listened  more  than  half  an  hour  to  the 
mingled  bowlings  of  a  pack  of  wolves.  These  animals 
are  not  dangerous  to  mankind ;  they  differ  widely  from 
European  wolves,  and  are  principally  troublesome  in  this 
country  because  of  their  sheep-killing  proclivities.  This 
music  that  we  heard  to-night,  the  howling  of  the  wolves, 
was  repeated  every  night  for  more  than  a  month ;  in  fact, 
we  heard  it  nighdy  as  long  as  we  remained  in  this  dark 
wilderness. 

These  serenades  were  the  only  evidences  we  had  of 
their  existence,  until  after  the  snow  had  fallen  so  as  to 
render  perceptible  their  tracks,  which  were  then  occasion- 
ally discovered. 

The  forenoon  of  the  next  day,  October  7,  was  spent 
in    trout-fishing,   grouse-shooting,   and   exploring   the  sur- 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


139 


rounding  country.  The  captain  conducted  me  about  half 
a  mile  up  the  side  of  a  steep  hill,  which  had  its  base  on 
Long  Lake,  to  another  lake  situated  on  the  top  of  this 
hill  or  mountain.  While  I  recognize  the  fact  that  all 
mountain  lakes  occupy  different  planes  or  levels,  some 
higher  and  others  lower,  stiir  it  seemed  very  unusual  to 
climb  the  face  of  a  steep  hill,  commencing  at  one  lake,  and 
find  another  just  where  you  had  expected  to  reach  the 
hill-top.  This  lake  was  nearly  round  and  probably  some- 
what less  than  one-half  mile  in  diameter.  We  saw,  during 
our  morning  peregrinations,  many  old  moose-tracks,  and 
also  many  spots  in  the  woods  where  these  animals  had 
browsed ;  while  a  few  of  these  moose  indications  were 
certainly  of  recent  origin. 

The  captain  thought  it  wise  to  tarry  in  our  present 
camp  several  days,  to  kill  deer  and  dry  the  venison,  in 
order  that  we  might  have  a  supply  of  meat  while  engaged 
in  moose-hunting,  independent  of  that  which  we  might  be 
able  to  kill  during  this  period. 

We  had  unanimously  agreed  that  it  was  inexpedient  to 
take  dogs  with  us  on  the  moose  chase.  In  this  particular 
our  experience  fully  confirmed  the  wisdom  of  our  con- 
clusion. The  moose  cannot  be  driven  to  water  by  deer- 
hounds,  or  any  other  species  of  dogs  with  which  I  am 
familiar ;  and,  therefore,  had  we  taken  these  animals  with 
us,  they  could  only  have  served  to  announce  our  presence 
to  the  game  which  we  sought,  without  being  able  to  render 
any  assistance.  These  facts  will  become  more  apparent 
to  the  reader  when  he  has  read  other  portions  of  this 
book,  when    the    story  of  the  moose-hunt  has   been    told 


% 


It' 


tirll! 

'1! 


;  \>- '  l\ 


y  \i 


M 


iri'^ 


lii.  nffll 
mi  "     • 


m 


m 

I: 


,..: 


140 


TIf£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


from  beginning  to  end.  We  are  now  entering  on  nature's 
grandest  preserve, — we  find  here  the  "  King  of  the  Cana- 
dian Forest,"  alias  moose,  deer,  beaver,  black  bear,  black 
wolf,  speckled-  and  lake-trout,  duck,  ruffed  grouse,  etc. 
Here  is  abundance  of  sport  for  the  true  sportsman. 
During  the  morning  stroll  we  saw  several  beaver-houses 
which  were  occupied,  and  examined  a  large  amount  of 
their  fresh  work.  These  sights  were  highly  interesting  to 
me,  but  inasmuch  as  they  have  been  so  frequently  de- 
scribed by  others,  I  shall  omit  them  here. 

It  was  already  after  twelve  o'clock  when  we  reached 
our  camp.  The  guides  prepared  our  dinner,  which  was 
speedily  partaken  of,  and  then  we  got  off  on  a  deer-hunt. 
The  captain  started  into  the  woods  with  the  dogs.  George 
Ross  and  I  entered  a  canoe,  the  former  paddling  across 
the  lake  to  a  point  that  commanded  a  view  of  a  large 
portion  of  this  water.  We  then  stepped  on  dry  land,  and 
there  patiently  awaited  the  coming  developments.  We 
carefully  scanned  every  visible  portion  (  the  lake.  An 
hour  passed  and  still  we  were  watching ;  soon  a  grand 
splash  was  heard  near  the  shore  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  lake ;  the  guide  caught  sight  of  the  water  which  was 
thrown  high  into  the  air,  but  the  hi^ad  of  the  deer  was 
scarcely  visible  to  him  while  the  animal  was  swimming 
towards  us.  The  deer,  which,  at  first,  swam  directly  towards 
us,  soon  changed  his  course  and  headed  towards  the  foot 
of  the  lake.  This  change  brought  him  plainly  into  view, 
A  few  minutes  later  the  dog  was  seen  running  from  the 
woods  where  the  deer  broke  cover.  The  head  and  antlers 
of  our  game  were  visible  above   the  waters  of  the  lake, 


i:\)  '.\ 


■ 


KB 


BSD 


on,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


141 


while  he  was  swimming  majestically  without  fear  or  even 
anxiety.  We  stood  nearly  half  an  hour  watching  the 
movements  of  this  deer,  since  we  could  not  safely  move 
lest  we  should  be  discovered  by  the  game  and  give  him 
an  opportunity  to  return  to  his  forest  home.  The  reader 
should  remember  that  this  animal  took  to  the  water  from 
the  shore  nearly  opposite  to  the  point  on  which  we  were 
standing,  that  the  deer  swam  almost  directly  towards  us 
until  he  reached  the  middle  of  the  stream,  then  turned 
downward,  which  gave  us,"  in  du*)  time,  an  opportunity  to 
come  in  unperceived  behind  him.  Patiently  we  awaited 
this  opportune  moment.  When  it  arrived,  the  canoe,  which 
had  been  drawn  up  on  the  shore  near  us,  was  quietly 
shoved  out  upon  the  water.  Ross  gently  stepped  to  the 
stern  with  his  paddle  in  hand,  steadied  our  little  bark  while 
I  entered  its  bow,  where  I  seated  myself  and  placed  my 
rifie  at  my  right  side.  Ross  carefully  pushed  the  little 
craft  from  its  moorings,  placed  himself  on  his  knees  in  that 
part  of  the  canoe  which  properly  trimmed  it,  and  silently 
plied  his  paddle. 

The  little  canoe  moved  noiselessly  but  rapidly  forward, 
every  stroke  of  the  paddle  bringing  us  nearer  to  the  game. 
There  was  another  paddle  lying  near  my  hand ;  I  seized  it 
and  gave  a  helping  hand,  greatly  increasing  the  speed. 
Forward,  forward  we  went !  We  were  unperceived,  al- 
though within  ten  rods  of  a  beautiful  buck,  which  was 
swimming  in  the  middle  of  the  lake  direcdy  before  us. 
My  paddle  was  changed  for  my  rifle.  Nearer,  still  nearer 
we  approached.  The  rifle  was  raised ;  the  bead  was  drawn, 
just  below  the  base  of  the  animal's  skull.     We  were  six 


\\ 


I 


t ! 


'% 


m 


142 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


\a  ''■ 


rods  distant  from  the  deer.  A  little  puff  of  white  smoke 
covered  the  bow  of  our  boat;  the  crack  of  the  rifle  was 
heard,  and  the  lifeless  body  of  the  deer  floated  on  the 
water,  which  was  slightly  tinged  with  blood.  Thus  ended 
this  chase.  The  carcass  was  towed  to  shore  in  front  of 
our  camp,  and  the  captain  met  us  there,  having  returned 
from  the  woods,  where  he  had  gone  to  start  the  dogs.  The 
dog  which  followed  the  buck  that  I  had  just  shot  was  also 
now  in  our  camp,  but  the  other  was  still  absent.  Nearly 
two  hours  had  elapsed  since  tlfe  buck  was  shot.  There 
were  now  on  the  shore,  in  front  of  our  camp,  the  captain, 
George  Ross,  and  myself,  while  Mildenberger  had  gone 
back  into  the  forest  in  search  of  ruffed  grouse.  Suddenly 
the  captain  sprang  from  the  rock  on  which  he  had  been 
seated,  placed  his  right  hand  on  his  forehead  in  such  a 
position  as  to  shade  his  eyes,  while  he  leaned  slightly  for- 
ward and  gazed  steadily  out  over  the  surface  of  the  lake  a 
few  seconds  without  uttering  a  single  word.  This  position 
was  one  that  I  had  frequently  seen  him  assume.  I  there- 
fore recognized  the  fact  that  he  had  sighted  game,  or  was 
at  least  swayed  by  this  thought,  and  now  endeavored  to 
solve  the  question.  Thus  he  had  stood  for  a  few  seconds, 
when  he  simply  exclaimed,  ''A  deer  in  the  lakef  and 
instantly  sprang  forward  to  the  canoe.  I  had  followed  him 
closely  with  rifle  in  hand,  expecting  to  make  the  chase  with 
him  ;  he  quickly  pushed  the  frail  bark  into  the  water  and 
hastily  said,  "  Doctor,  let  George  go  w'th  me  in  the  canoe ; 
it  will  be  a  hard  chase ;  we  will  drive  the  deer  to  you."  A 
few  seconds  later  the  canoe  was  on  the  water,  the  captain 
in  the  bow  and  George  Ross  in  the  stern,  each  on  their 


%f\  ,    w 


' 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


43 


knees  with  a  paddle  in  their  hands.  The  little  birch-bark 
was  rushing  rapidly  forward,  propelled  by  the  power  of 
four  strong,  muscular  arms.  The  sight  is  a  grand  one,  and 
calK^d  to  mind  the  impetuous  charge  of  a  squadron  of 
cavalry  in  war  times.  The  captain  is  most  determined  and 
energetic  when  in  the  pursuit  of  game ;  like  the  grandest 
charger  in  the  squadron,  he  is  bound  to  take  the  lead,  while 
the  others  can  only  follow. 

This  peculiarity  of  the  man  has  been  demonstrated 
frequently  in  my  presence  in  the  chase,  and  all  his  fellow- 
huntsmen  and  guides  are  retidy  to  grant  him  this  position. 
I  had  seated  myself  on  a  rock,  soon  after  the  departure  of 
the  guides,  to  watch  the  deer,  whose  head  was  visible  to 
me  in  my  position,  although  fully  a  mile  away.  I  could 
not,  however,  at  so  great  a  distance,  determine  whether 
this  animal  possessed  antlers  or  not ;  but  the  leisurely 
manner  in  which  it  was  swimming  satisfied  me  its  pursuers 
were  undiscovered  until  they  had  made  at  least  three- 
fourths  of  the  whole  distance.  The  animal,  when  first  dis- 
covered, was  nearly  opposite  to  our  camp  and  within  a 
few  rods  of  the  farther  shore.  The  guides,  in  order  to 
succeed  in  the  accomplishment  of  their  purpose,  were  com- 
pelled to  make  a  considerable  detour  to  the  rear  of  the 
animal,  and  finally  come  up  between  it  and  the  shore. 
Fortunately  for  us  they  had  remained,  for  a  considerable 
time,  undiscovered,  and  the  animal,  in  the  mean  time,  was 
gradually  leaving  the  shore  while  swimming  down  the  lake. 
The  moment,  however,  came  when  the  pursuers  were  dis- 
covered, and  the  deer  then  made  the  most  frantic  efforts.  J 
could  see  it  spring  forward  with  all  its  power ^  raising  its 


K  '\\ 


It  I 


!:  i 


144 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE,- 


I*'  ,  1 1 


'j"i 

m 


W' 


1 
■i 

n 

1 

|iL 

f 

>&^«^  high  in  the  air  ivith  each  grand  ejforty  but  the  guides 
are  pulling  stronger  than  before  on  their  paddles.  They 
seem,  when  viewed  from  my  position,  to  be  only  a  few  rods 
in  the  rear  of  the  animal,  but  the  deer  is  heading  for  the 
shore  and  seems  about  ready  to  bound  into  the  forest.  It 
is  now  evident  to  me  that  the  chase  can  only  last  a  few 
seconds.  /  sprang  from  my  seat  ;  I  recalled  the  fact  that 
the  guides  have  no  gun  in  the  boat ;  I  realize  that  if  they 
had  one  they  could  now  easily  kill  the  animal ;  they  are 
almost  on  it.  An  instant  later  and  the  canoe  is  seen  between 
the  deer  and  the  shore ;  a  loud  shout  is  heard  from  the 
guides ;  they  wave  their  hats  ;  they  are  victorious,  and  the 
disappointed  deer  now  turns  and  swims  towards  the  middle 
of  the  lake.  Its  grandest  effort  has  been  made  ;  fatigue  and 
disappointment  slow  down  its  movements.  It  was  now  an 
easy  task  for  the  guides  to  direct  the  animal  to  any  point 
on  the  lake.  The  canoe  was  kept  in  the  rear,  and  when 
it  was  brought  forward  towards  the  right  of  the  deer,  it 
would  cause  the  animal  to  oblique  to  the  left,  and  vice  versa. 
In  this  manner  they  proceeded  to  cross  the  lake,  bringing 
the  doe  in  front  of  the  rock  on  which  I  was  seated ;  but 
while  she  was  still  about  six  hundred  yards  away  they 
called  on  me  to  take  a  shot.  I  demurred  against  their 
request,  inasmuch  as  the  portion  of  the  animal  now  visible 
did  not  much  exceed  the  dimensions  of  a  pint  cup.  The 
first  ball  fired  fell  short  about  fifty  yards,  and  then  rico- 
chetted  nearly  across  the  lake.  Another  shot  was  fired 
with  no  better  result,  and  thus  I  continued  for  several 
minutes,  but  not  without  making  some  improvement.  The 
shots  were  pronounced  by  the  guides  to  be  accurate,  so  far 


^s 


"I'l. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


H5 


as  the  line  of  the  target  was  concerned,  but  the  balls  still 
fell  short  of  the  mark. 

The  photographer,  who  was  absent  in  the  woods  when 
I  commenced  firing,  now  made  his  appearance,  and  seizing 
the  Winchester  rifle,  began  to  compete  with  me.  H-^  was 
able  to  fire  two  shots  with  the  repeater  while  I  could  fire 
one  from  the  breech-loading  Ballard.  The  contest  between 
us  was  now  very  lively,  and  we  succeeded  in  persuading 
the  guides  to  bring  the  game  nearer  to  us,  so  that  the 
animal  was  not  more  than  one  hundred  yards  from  the 
muzzles  of  the  rifles.  The  bullets  now  fell  in  very  close 
proximity  to  the  doe's  head ;  none  were  more  than  four 
or  five  inches  from  its  centre.  Six  or  eight  shots  have 
been  fired  with  this  degree  of  accuracy,  when  I  send  in 
one  that  breaks  the  skin  over  the  base  of  the  animal's 
skull.  She  dodges  her  head  downward,  but  quickly  brings 
it  up  again,  when  a  shot  from  Mildenberger  ends  this  trial 
of  skill.  The  guides  shout  aloud  and  lustily  cheer  the  pho- 
tographer, zuho  proudly  puts  doivn  his  rifle  and  wipes  the 
perspiration  from  his  brow. 


■\.  ( 


,  '.,.■  ■' .  1 


to 


- 
1 


146 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARaDJSE; 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


I'v 


Dryino  Venison — A  Grand  and  Beautiful  Mountain  Goroe— The  Meetino 
AT  THE  BkaverDam— Our  Photocrapiier  Lost  in  the  VVildernkss— A 
Lonely  Nicht  on  Buck  Lake— The  Horriiile  Dream— The  Lost  Man 
Found — The  Unexpected  Meetino  with  a  Bull  Mouse. 


ill 


r:i 


! 


HE  preparation  for  the  moose-hunt 
was  now  commenced  by  cutting  the 
flesh  of  the  deer,  which  we  had  just 
killed,  into  strips  or  slices,  and  dry- 
^  ing  the  same  on  a  scaffold  erected 
for  the  purpose  over  our  camp-fire. 
This  labor,  however,  did  not  inter- 
fere seriously  with  the  continuation  of  deer-hunting,  trout- 
fishing,  an-  bird-shooting;  but,  inasmuch  as  we  have  fully 
described  these  sports,  we  shall  hereafter  entirely  omit,  or 
pass  very  rapidly  over,  them,  lest  a  too  frequent  repetition 
of  that  which  Is  very  interesting  may  become  monotonous. 

We  remained  on  this  lake  ten  days,  during  which 
period  the  venison  was  fully  dried,  and  we  had  a  very 
enjoyable  time.  The  weather  was  generally  very  pleasant, 
although  we  had  a  sl'Vht  snow-storm  and  occasional  rains. 
The  photographer  took  many  negatives,  and  uinong  others, 
a  view  of  our  camp,  which  appears  as  a  frontispiece  in  this 
book.  Game  was  found  here  in  great  abundance,  and  our 
larder  was  always  well  supplied ;  in  fact,  there  was  no  time 
during  our  stay  on  this  lake  when  we  had  not  plenty  of 
venison,  trout,  and   ruffed   grouse ;    nor  was  it  found  ne- 


11.  .. 


■,;'■  ; 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


M7 


cessary  for  us  to  spend  more  than  a  small  portion  of  our 
time  in  procuring  tiiese  necessities ;  consequently,  both 
long  and  short  journeys  were  made  into  the  surrounding 
forest  with  no  other  object  than  spending  our  time  pleas- 
antly. It  should,  nevertheless,  be  here  confessed  that 
nature  frequently  rewarded  us  for  these  labors,  even  be- 
yond our  expectations,  revealing  to  us  at  such  times  her 
grandest  secrets.  It  was  during  our  stay  on  this  lake  that 
the  photographer  and  I  started  out  one  afternoon,  taking 
with  us  bird-dogs  and  shot-guns,  although  the  chief  object 
of  this  trip  was  not  to  gather  in  partridges  for  food,  but 
rather  to  study  nature  in  this  grand  solitude.  We  walked 
together  probably  about  one  mile,  chatting  pleasantly  in 
the  mean  time,  when  I  separated  from  him  for  the  purpose 
of  investigating  a  deep  and  dark  ravine,  which  I  was  at 
that  moment  entering.  The  desire  to  be  alone,  entirely 
alone,  so  far  as  human  companionship  was  concerned,  had 
taken  complete  possession  of  my  soul.  I  therefore  in- 
formed Mr.  Mildenberger  that  we  would  separate  here, 
and  that  I  would  rejoin  him  at  the  head  of  the  lake.  Two 
bird-dogs  remained  with  me,  while  one  accompanied  the 
photographer ;  even  this  companionship  was  noiv  more  than 
I  desired.  Faithful  Ponto  commonly  afforded  me  much 
satisfaction  by  his  persevering  efforts  to  find  game,  and 
litde  Romp  often  amused  me  by  his  wild  antics  ;  but  that 
afternoon  I  frequently  wished  that  they  were  both  back  in 
camp. 

The  sun  was  shining  brighdy,  but  nevertheless  the 
depth  of  the  ravine  which  I  had  entered  was  so  great,  and 
the  shadows  of  the  giant  trees  which  overhung  its  borders 


■■r\ 


Cv  : 


148 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


1 1 'J 


\U 


;i.  1 1  vM 


m 


.    ' 


SO  dark,  that  I  soon  found  myself  in  a  sort  of  twilight. 
This  peculiar  light  gave  a  strange  and  weird  appearance 
to  those  objects  situated  at  the  bottom  of  the  ravine,  while 
the  autumnal  frosts  had  touched  the  foliage  of  the  trees 
growing  from  its  sides,  as  well  as  those  which  overhung 
it,  imparting  to  it  many  of  the  most  beautiful  colors  of  the 
rainbow,  which  it  rivalled  in  beauty.  Great  rocks  and 
grand  boulders,  frequently  covered  with  ferns,  were  often 
seen  in  the  bottom  and  on  the  sides  of  this  half-lighted 
chasm.  Grandeur  and  beauty  were  here  combined.  As  I 
proceeded  up  thiii  mountain  gorge,  the  scenes  presented 
were  truly  kaleidoscopic :  the  surrounding  landscape  pre- 
sented an  endless  variety  of  beautiful  colors,  which  a  mar- 
vellous play  of  light  and  shade  blended  in  the  formation 
of  pictures  that  were  frequently  artistic,  although  at  other 
times  they  were  grotesque  and  comical. 

Slowly  I  advanced  through  this  fairy-land,  often  halting, 
and  sometimes  seating  myself  on  some  convenient  rock 
in  order  to  study  more  carefully  the  effect  of  a  passing 
cloud,  or  the  flight  of  a  bird  which  chanced  to  come  in 
such  a  position  as  to  throw  its  shadow  within  my  view. 
In  this  manner  the  time  passed  rapidly,  and  my  promise  to 
meet  the  photographer  at  the  head  of  the  lake  had  been 
completely  forgotten.  It  was  not  until  late  in  the  afternoon 
that  I  was  stimulated,  by  the  increasing  darkness  in  the 
deep,  dark  mountain  gorge,  to  quicken  my  pace,  in  order 
that  I  might  be  able  to  return  to  camp  before  nightfall. 

Finally,  hurried  forward  by  the  thought  thai  I  might 
be  compelled  to  spend  a  night  in  the  woods,  where  the 
charming  scenes  just  described  had  been  dispelled  by  the 


HS-555B= 


'■""'Yff"in7"^aa 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


149 


i'      SI 


increasing-  gloom,  I  soon  found  myself  at  the  end  of  the 
gorge  and  on  the  top  of  the  mountain.  The  entire  length 
of  this  deep  ravine  did  not  exceed  two  miles,  but  I  had 
spent  within  it  more  than  three  hours.  Ha*  in  ";  reached 
the  mountain-top,  I  was  now  convinced  t'  a  1  had  an 
abundance  of  time  to  return  to  our  camp  by  uu  way  of 
the  head  of  the  lake ;  and  I  was  prompted  to  start  in  this 
direction  by  the  belief  that  Mr.  Mildenberger  .ould  prob- 
ably remain  in  that  vicinity  until  I  could  join  him.  It  now 
remained  for  me  to  determine  the  direction  which  I  must 
take  in  order  to  reach  this  objective-point.  I  seated  my- 
self for  a  few  moments,  thought  on  the  subject,  and  then 
proceeded  on  my  journey,  but  had  not  taken  a  dozen  steps 
when  I  caught  an  instantaneous  glance  of  a  fine  buck 
not  more  than  forty  yards  from  me  on  the  slope  of  the 
mountain.  This  animal  rushed  down  the  mountain-side 
with  such  rapidity  that  I  was  unable  to  get  a  distinct  out- 
line of  his  form  at  any  time  after  he  had  taken  his  first 
leap,  although  the  movements  of  the  underbrush  and  a 
shadowy  figure  were  visible  for  a  few  seconds.  Romp 
started  promptly  after  the  fleeing  animal,  and  Ponto  soon 
joined  in  the  chase.  The  direction  taken  by  these  fugi- 
tives was  towards  the  head  of  the  lake,  and  therefore  I 
followed  after  them.  I  had  tramped,  I  supposed,  about 
two  miles,  when  I  came  to  a  cedar  swamp,  which  I  unhesi- 
tatingly penetrated,  and  soon  found  myself  standing  on 
the  edge  of  a  considerable  brook,  which  I  thought  would 
enter  the  lake  near  the  head  of  that  body  of  water;  con- 
sequently, I  started  down  this  stream,  which  I  followed 
about  two  miles,  when  I  heard  a  shout  from  the  photog- 


?i 


i'-iil 


'I    ! 
11 


'  m 


I50 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


t 


; 

\ 


5, 


rapher.  I  was  delighted  to  hear  his  voice,  but  greatly 
surprised  to  find  him  in  such  a  dense  jungle.  I  had  pre- 
viously observed  that  the  brook  which  I  was  following  had 
overflowed  its  borders, — had,  evidendy,  quite  re- 
cently assumed  unusual  proportions,  since  the  trees 
now  nearly  sub-  {j 
merged  were 
still  apparently 
healthy.       ' 

It  is  a  well- 
known    fact    to 
backwoodsmen 
that      trees 
when    com- 


Beaver-dam  and  house. 


pletely  submerged  soon  die.  I  was  not,  therefore,  sur- 
prised when  the  photographer,  whom  I  had  approached 
so  nearly  as  to  now  be  within  speaking  distance,  although 


J 


mmm 


mmm 


mm 


3E 


OJ?,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


^5» 


I  could  not  yet  see  the  objects  which  were  immediately 
about  him,  said,  "  I  am  standing  on  a  recently-constructed 
beaver-d?»n,  while  the  beaver-house,  not  yet  fully  com- 
pleted, is  situated  very  near." 

I  finally  succeeded  in  reaching  the  spot  where  my  plio- 
tographer  was  standing,  learned  that  he  had  been  there 
two  or  three  hours,  that  the  bird-dogs  had  been  in  his 
company  a  considerable  portion  of  this  time,  having  evi- 
dently followed  the  deer  which  I  had  seen  on  the  top  of 
the  mountain  into  this  vicinity.  Mr.  Mildenberger  was 
evidendy  greatly  interested  in  the  labors  of  this  animal, 
and  while  contemplating  it  had  forgotten  the  lake.  He 
failed  to  give  me  any  information  in  regard  to  the  routfe 
by  which  he  had  reached  his  present  situation.  It  was, 
therefore,  necessary  ^o  follow  the  brook  down  to  the  lake, 
which  feat  was  successfully  accomplished  ;  in  fact,  the  task 
was  not  very  difficult  when  we  had  succeeded  in  getting 
below  the  dam,  where  the  stream  once  more  possessed  its 
natural  boundaries,  although  its  course  led  wt  through  a 
very  dense  growth  of  alders  and  other  swamp  vegetation. 

The  lake  was  reached  soon  after  sunset,  and  the  firing 
of  a  few  signal-guns  brought  the  guides  with  the  canoes 
promptly  to  us  on  the  shore,  where  we  had  already  built  a 
fire  for  the  purpose  of  revealing  our  whereabouts. 

There  occurred  on  Tuesday,  October  lo,  while  we  were 
encamped  on  Long  Lake,  one  of  the  most  exciting  events 
of  our  sojourn  in  the  forest,  although  it  was  only  fortunate 
in  its  happy  termination.  Captain  Ross  and  the  photog- 
rapher started  this  morning  into  the  woods,  the  former 
for  the  purpose  of  starting  a  deer,  while  the  latter  was 


4\  I 


\    ' 


w 


N:   ;18 


k  !  '  I,    I     i 


<      1! 


I 


152 


TIfE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


intent  on  shooting  ruffed  grouse.  We  were  somewliat  sur- 
prised when  the  captain  reached  us,  about  one  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  unaccompanied  by  Mr.  Mildenberger,  inas- 
much as  the  latter  possessed  no  knowledge  of  woodcraft, 
and  was  therefore  extremely  liable  to  become  confused  and 
fail  to  reach  our  camp.  It  had  also  been  observed  that  the 
photographer  was  entirely  indifferent  in  regard  to  danger 
in  this  particular;  and  even  Wellington  Ross,  prior  to  sepa- 
rating from  us,  had  expressed  the  opinion  that  Mr.  Milden- 
berger would  yet  be  compcilled  to  spend  one  or  more 
nights  in  the  wilderness  without  the  society  of  his  comrades. 

The  moment  the  captain  reached  camp  this  afternoon  he 
inquired  if  the  photographer  had  returned,  and  when  an- 
swered in  the  negative,  he  expressed  considerable  anxiety. 
He  said,  "I  left  him  early  in  the  morning,  and  expected  to 
find  him  near  the  spot  where  we  had  separated  when  I  re- 
turned there  about  one  hour  since ;  but  he  had  taken  his 
departure  and  could  not  be  found.  I  then  thought  that 
probably  he  had  grown  weary  of  waiting  for  me  and  had 
retraced  his  steps  to  the  lake,  fired  a  signal  for  a  canoe, 
and  thus  reached  the  camp." 

Immediately  after  dinner  the  guides  started  out  in 
search  of  the  lost  photographer,  each  having  arranged  with 
the  other  to  go  in  a  different  direction,  in  order  to  cover  as 
much  space  as  possible  before  nightfall,  while  they  carried 
with  them  their  guns,  which  they  continued  to  fire  at  In- 
tervals for  the  purpose  of  attracting  Mr.  Mildenberger's 
attention  and  aiding  him  in  finding  the  camp.  The  search 
was  earnestly  kept  up  during  the  whole  afternoon,  and  only 
terminated   with    the    commencing    darkness    of    evening, 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


153 


while  the  firing  of  guns  was  continued  until  nine  o'clock. 
This  firing  since  nightfall  was  stimulated  by  certain  in- 
distinct sounds  heard  by  us,  which  we  thought  to  be  the 
shouts  of  the  lost  photographer,  although  there  was  some 
doubt  in  our  minds  on  this  subject. 

The  anxiety  felt  in  our  camp  for  our  lost  companion  is 
very  great  this  evening.  It  is  greatly  feared  that  he  will 
attempt  to  travel  in  the  woods  at  night.  This  effort  might 
be  productive  of  fatal  results.  Again,  it  is  thought  possible 
that  fear  and  anxiety  may  possibly  affect  his  intellect,  and 
thus  cause  him  to  wander  away  from  the  sounds  of  our 
guns  and  otherwise  interfere  with  us  in  our  search  and  his 
safe  return  to  camp.  The  reader,  in  order  to  fully  com- 
prehend the  fears  and  anxieties  of  those  in  camp,  must 
remember  that  the  lost  man  was  a  complete  stranger  to 
our  country,  a  German,  whose  knowledge  of  a  wilderness 
had  been  gained  from  a  few  acres  of  woodland  in  his  boy- 
hood home,  or  possibly  a  small  park  containing  trees  and 
small  streams.  Furthermore,  his  residence  in  America 
since  his  arrival  on  these  shores  has  been  limited  entirely 
to  large  cities,  with  no  knowledge  of  our  rural  districts  at 
the  time  he  started  on  this  journey.  The  anxiety  which  we 
felt  for  his  safety  was  likewise  intimately  connected  with  the 
objects  which  we  desired  to  accomplish  by  this  journey  into 
the  wilderness.  The  author  had  started  from  his  home  with 
the  determination  of  engaging  in  a  grand  moose-hunt  be- 
fore he  returned,  and  had  employed  the  photographer  that 
he  might  be  able  to  present  to  his  friends  in  the  future 
some  pleasant  reminiscences  of  the  doings  of  his  party  in 
the  Lake  Lands  of  Canada.     The  party  was  now  just  about 


'■  ! 


111' 

% 

t 


:'u 


■■\ 


ii ' 


i        I 

i   !  ' 
.1 


154 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


li     " 


(.  '- 

1  '■ .              ' 

(  - 

1 

j 

:   ■ 

1       '• 

Mi' 


!:: 


■  1  , 

' 

\ 

1 

i;  i 

I 

1 

• 

li. 

i 
i 

engaging  in  the  chief  object  of  the  expedition.  It  will, 
therefore,  be  observed  that  both  sympathy  and  self-interest 
'combined  to  increase  our  solicitude  for  the  safety  of  Mr. 
Mildenberger. 

The  fruitless  search  for  the  missing  man  during  the 
afternoon  had  served  to  greatly  increase  this  anxiety ;  and 
therefore  the  entire  conversation  around  our  camp-fire 
during  the  evening  related  to  a  further  prosecution  of  the 
search  for  the  photographer.  This  subject  was  thoroughly 
discussed,  and  it  was  finally  agreed  that  the  captain  should 
start  from  camp  in  the  morning  with  the  earliest  dawn  of 
day,  and  that  George  Ross  and  the  author  should  follow  as 
soon  as  it  became  evident  to  them  that  the  captain's  first 
effort  had  failed.  The  captain,  during  the  discussion  which 
occurred  in  the  evening  around  the  camp-fire,  had  ex- 
pressed the  opinion  that  Mr.  Mildenberger  would  be  found 
in  the  morning  at  Mountain  Lake.  In  our  contemplation 
of  the  condition  of  the  photographer,  we  were  comforted 
by  the  thought  that  the  weather  was  now  clear  and  mild, 
and  therefore  he  would  be  relieved  from  the  physical  suf- 
ferings that  might  otherwise  attend  a  separation  from  us. 
We  were  likewise  aware  that  lie  was  supplied  with  matches, 
which  would  enable  him  to  build  a  fire,  and  thus  render  his 
surroundings  in  the  woods  more  endurable  at  night  than 
they  would  otherwise  have  been. 

The  author  spent  a  restless  night  in  his  tent ;  his  sleep 

was  disturbed ;  his  companion  was  absent,  and  there  was 

some  doubt  as  to  his  safety.     He  awoke  before  it  was  light; 

awaited  rather  anxiously  the  first  dawn  of  day,  which  made 

•  its  appearance  about  5.45,  when  he  called  the  captain  and 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


155 


asked  him  if  it  was  not  time  to  start  on  the  search.  The 
captain  rubbed  his  eyes  and  replied  in  the  affirmative.  We 
then  both  arose  and  stepped  from  our  respective  tents  into 
the  open  air.  At  that  moment  we  heard  the  voice  of  Mr. 
Mildenberger.  It  was  indistinct ;  he  evidendy  was  a  great 
distance  from  us,  but  we  both  now  felt  assured  that  he 
was  still  glive.  We  recognized  the  voice  as  that  of  our  pho- 
tographer. The  captain  quickly  fired  two  shots,  hoping 
that  Mr.  Mildenberger  would  hear  the  sound;  and  then 
he  promptly  started  for  the  shore  where  his  canoe  was 
lying ;  the  little  bark  was  shoved  off  on  the  water,  and,  oc- 
cupied by  our  sturdy  backwoodsman,  she  glided  away  on 
the  smooth  surface  of  the  lake  with  great  rapidity.  We 
listened  intently  to  the  shots  fired  from  the  captain's  rifle, 
and  also  to  his  lusty  shouts.  We  had  expected  that  these 
sounds  would  elicit  a  reply  from  our  lost  friend,  but  no  an- 
swer was  heard.  The  captain  paddled  quickly  across  the 
lake ;  the  canoe  was  drawn  on  the  shore ;  the  sound  of  his 
voice  and  the  report  of  his  rifle  were  heard  more  than  half 
an  hour  after  he  entered  che  woods ;  but  both  gradually 
grew  less  distinct,  and  finally  were  heard  no  more.  We 
had  expected  to  hear  some  answering  shots  or  shouts  from 
Mr.  Mildenberger,  but  none  have  reached  our  ears  since 
the  early  dawn.  Is  he  wa.idering  away  from  us  ?  Has  he 
failed  to  hear  our  shots  ?  These  were  the  questions  asked 
in  our  camp.  George  has  prepared  our  breakfast  and  we 
have  attempted  to  supply  nature's  demand.  We  found 
little  pleasure  around  our  board  this  morning ;  could  not 
enjoy  our  food ;  two  of  our  members  are  absent,  the  cap- 
tain and  Mr.  Mildenberger,  and  when  will  they  be  with  us 


M.,1 


Hi 

ill 


T" 


IrtS 


in 


156 


T//E  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE.- 


again  ?  The  latter  query,  like  those  so  recently  asked, 
could  not  now  be  answered.  It  has  been  more  than  three 
hours  since  the  captain  left  the  camp.  George  was  busied 
with  the  labors  attending  the  drying  of  the  venison.  The 
author  was  perched  on  a  high  rock  at  the  lake-shore,  ready 
to  announce  the  first  appearance  of  the  lost. 

The  captain's  canoe  was  seen  on  the  lake  approaching 
camp ;  but  the  distance  was  too  great  for  its  occupants  to 
be  discerned.  This  discovery  was  made  by  the  author  and 
promptly  announced  to  the  guide  in  the  camp,  who  imme- 
diately came  to  the  lookout. 

We  are  still  unable  to  make  out  the  number  of  persons 
in  the  canoe.  Great  was  our  suspense!  Great  our  anx- 
iety to  know  the  result  of  the  captain's  search !  After  a 
time  we  were  able  to  distinguish  two  voices.  Gladness 
filled  our  hearts ;  a  joyful  shout  from  us  was  answered  by 
a  similar  one  from  the  canoe.  Two  forms  are  now  visible ; 
two  paddles  are  driving  the  little  bark  rapidly  forward  ; 
it  will  soon  be  halted  at  our  feet.  Shout  after  shout  was 
heard  from  our  friends,  and  shout  answered  shout.  Our 
joy  was  great  and  unrestrained.  The  canoe  touched  shore, 
was  drawn  on  dry  land,  and  a  joyous  handshaking  fol- 
lowed. A  breakfast  was  quickly  prepared  for  the  pho- 
tographer and  captain.  They  were  hungry,  and  unques- 
tionably greatly  enjoyed  the  repast. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  photographer's  wanderings, 
and  detail  his  joys  and  sufferings  as  he  has  reported  them 
to  us.  The  morning  of  the  day  on  which  he  was  lost,  when 
he  started  out  with  the  captain,  was  perfectly  clear  and  the 
sun  was  shining  brightly.      He  soon  found  himself  thor- 


,!:h 


.ii'. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


157 


oughly  engrossed  in  partridge-shooting,  and  had  no  thought 
of  danger,  or  that  he  should  wander  away  from  camp  so 
far  that  he  could  not  readily  find  his  way  back  again.  He 
told  the  captain,  when  they  separated,  that  he  would  soon 
return  to  the  lake  ;  but,  since  the  shooting  was  very  good 
in  the  early  part  of  the  day,  he  thought  very  little  of  the 
promise.  In  fact,  he  did  not  think  it  necessary  for  him  to 
pay  any  attention  even  to  the  direction  in  which  he  was 
journeying,  and  consequently  he  pushed  heedlessly  for- 
ward, passing  lake  after  lake,  over  mountain  and  hill,  until 
nearly  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  At  this  hour  he 
began  to  feel  hungry ;  halted ;  dressed  and  broiled  one  of 
the  partridges  which  he  had  killed  in  the  morning.  While 
thus  engaged,  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  was  lost,  and 
would  probably  fail  to  reach  camp  that  night.  These 
thoughts  impaired  his  appetite  and  rendered  him  somewhat 
nervous.  The  deer-dogs,  which  the  captain  had  taken  with 
him  into  the  woods  in  the  morning,  approached  the  pho- 
tographer soon  after  this  lunch.  He  could  not  persuade 
them  to  remain  with  him ;  and,  inasmuch  as  he  supposed 
that  they  were  now  returning  to  camp  after  their  unsuc- 
cessful chase,  he  attempted  to  follow  them ;  but  they  were 
soon  lost  to  his  vision.  The  dogs  reached  camp  before 
dark,  thus  succeeding  better  than  Mr.  Mildenberger. 

The  old  bird-dog,  "  Bummer,"  started  with  him  in  the 
morning,  but  he  too  returned  to  camp.  It  will,  therefore, 
be  observed  that  the  photographer  was  entirely  alone  in  the 
wilderness, — that  even  the  dogs  had  most  ungenerously  re- 
fused to  stay  with  him.  When  he  fully  realized  that  he  was 
lost  he  walked  rapidly,  hoping  still  that  he  might  reach  some 


.  !  I 


\t\n 


I  !i 


B  4 


158 


TJfJi   SrOIiTSAUN':i  PARADISE: 


familiar  point  in  the  woods  ;  but  evcrythinji;-  was  strange, — 
forest,  lakes,  mountains,  and  hills  all  refused  to  grant  the 
assistance  he  desired.  The  anxiety  of  mind  which  he  felt 
when  he  first  discovered  that  he  was  losr  had  steadily 
increased,  every  hour  adding  to  his  sufferings,  until  he 
finally  found  himself  plunged  into  the  most  intense  mental 
agony.  He  now  realized  that  he  was  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land, — a  wanderer  in  a  wilderness  so  large  that 
it  was  possible  for  him  to  spend  several  months  in  wander- 
ing without  ever  coming  in  contact  with  a  single  human 
being.  Abo'  an  hour  before  sunset  he  reached  a  large 
lake,  or  at  least  one  much  larger  than  any  he  had  seen 
during  the  day,  after  leaving  the  one  on  which  we  were 
encamped.  This  lake,  he  thinks,  was  about  two  miles  in 
length  and  about  one  mile  in  width.  He  shot  a  duck,  and 
then  concluded  to  camp  for  the  night  on  the  shore  of  this 
lake.  He  saw  a  high  cliff  at  a  point  on  the  shore,  having 
a  perpendicular  rock  wall  rising  more  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  lake,  and  he,  deter- 
mined to  climb  up  to  this  high  point  and  take  one  more 
view  of  terra  firma;  then,  if  nothing  better  offered,  he 
would  spend  the  night  there.  The  cliff,  or  promontory, 
which  we  have  mentioned,  possessed  but  one  rocky,  per- 
pendicular wall ;  the  other  sides  were  steep  slopes  covered 
with  heavy  forest-trees,  while  there  occasionally  cropped 
out  a  rocky  stratum  or  ledge.  These  slopes  were  chiefly 
covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  birch  and  maple,  although 
there  were  to  be  seen,  near  the  summit,  several  large 
white-pine  trees.  The  photographer  had  reached  the  lake- 
shore  about  one  hundred  rods  from  the  southern  base  of 


OR,    THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


159 


this  high  clift,  and  consequently  it  required  only  a  lew  min- 
utes' walk,  when  he  was  prepared  to  commence  the  ascent. 
He  had  walked  very  rapidly  durin<r  the  latter  part  of  the 
day,  was  now  gready  fatigued,  and  consequently  lie  found 
the  ascent  of  the  steep  slope  very  difficult  and  even  pain- 
ful to  him.  The  steepness  of  the  acclivity  was  so  great 
that  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  make  a  direct  ascent  of 
its  face ;  so  he  was  compelled  to  tack  from  one  point  to 
another,  in  imitation  of  the  course  pursued  by  the  mariner 
under  certain  circumstances.  The  reader  will  readily 
understand  that,  under  these  circumstances,  it  was  im- 
possible for  the  photographer  to  make  very  rapid  progress 
in  the  ascent ;  still  he  labored  on,  drawing  himself  up  by 
seizing  hold  of  bushes  or  any  other  projecting  substance, 
frequently  resting  in  order  to  gain  strength  to  enable  him 
to  make  a  new  effort,  and  thus,  after  having  spent  an  hour 
in  this  severe  toil,  he  finally  reached  the  summit  of  the  clitf. 
Let  us  now  look  upon  him  as  he  then  appeared,  after  he 
had  accomplished  the  ascent  and  stood  on  the  top  of  the 
cliff,  overlooking  the  lake  and  surrounding  forest.  The 
reader  would  have  pronouiiced  him,  even  at  this  moment,  a 
strong,  athletic  man,  but  would  have  been  surprised  when 
he  observed  that  his  face  was  livid,  eyes  protruding  and 
reddened,  forehead,  face,  and  hands  covered  with  large 
drops  of  perspiration,  while  every  muscle  in  the  poor  suf- 
ferer's body  trembled  from  over-exertion.  Thus  appeared 
our  photographer  when  he  first  stepped  forward  on  die 
high  cliff  and  gazed  around  him,  but  only  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, when  he  was  observed  to  totter  and  then  sink  down 
upon  the  ground,  where  he  remained  prostrate  for  some 


I   !• 


i'ltl, 


I   :': 


m 

if 


Ji' 


I  , 


i6o 


T/fE  SPO/fTSAfAN'S  PARADISR: 


minutes,  but  finally  raised  himself  to  a  sittings  posture.  Be- 
hold him  as  he  now  sat  there !  pardy  doubled  up,  lower 
extremities  extended  and  restinjj  on  the  earth,  elbows  rest- 
inj^  on  thighs,  head  drooping  forward  and  clasped  on  either 
side  with  a  hand, — a  perfect  picture  of  despair.  The  face 
is  turned  towards  the  earth,  the  mind  is  dazed,  and  he  can- 
not now  recall  his  own  doings  during  the  day.  Fortu- 
nately, this  mental  condition  was  of  short  duration, — lasted 
only  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour, — when  he  fully  regained 
consciousness  and  realized  the  fact  that  he  was  lost.  He 
once  more  assumed  the  standing  position,  and  now  carefully 
surveyed  the  lake  and  the  surrounding  landscape.  There 
was  nothing  visible  but  this  single  lake,  surrounded  by 
miles  and  miles  of  dark  forest.  He  recalled  the  fact  that 
during  this  day's  journeying  he  had  passed  eight  or  ten 
lakes,  but  he  observed  nothing  in  the  appearance  of  this 
wilderness  to  indicate,  at  this  time,  their  existence  or  locality. 

The  sun  had  just  disappeared  behind  the  western  hori- 
zon. He  now  examined  the  contents  of  his  pockets,  and 
discovered  that  he  had  only  two  cartridges  for  the  shot-gun 
left.  He  instantly  resolved  that  he  would  do  no  more 
shooting  for  the  present,  unless  it  became  necessary  for  the 
preservation  of  his  life.  There  was  no  more  time  to  be 
lost  by  inactivity,  wood  must  be  gathered  for  the  night's 
fire,  and  some  evergreen  boughs  placed  on  the  surface  of 
the  flat  rock  in  order  to  prepare  it  for  a  seat  during  his  in- 
voluntary sojourn.  The  photographer  now  set  about  the 
performance  of  these  duties,  which  engaged  his  attention 
until  the  darkness  of  night  had  settled  down  about  him. 

In  the  mean  while,  he  had  built  a  fire  on  the  front  part 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


I6l 


of  the  plateau,  about  one  hundred  feet  back  from  the  per- 
pendicular wall  which  has  already  been  described.  This 
plateau  was  an  oblong  piece  of  ground,  containing  about 
one  acre,  which  formetl  the  top  of  the  high  cliff,  and  was 
covered  from  near  the  perpendicular  wall  which  fronted 
on  the  lake  with  whortleberry-bushes  and  a  few  dwarfed 
evergreens,  while  on  the  rear  of  the  plateau  there  were 
found  those  trees  common  to  this  wilderness. 

Having  carefully  located  our  photographer  where  he 
has  concluded  to  remaii>  until  the  dawn  of  the  morrow, 
we  are  now  interested  in  knowing  how  he  spent  the  in- 
tervening hours.  The  task  has  been  made  easy  for  the 
author,  he  having  received  a  full  statement  from  the  pho- 
tographer, who  always  seemed  anxious  to  impart  to  others 
a  knowledge  of  his  feelings  and  doings  on  this  gloomy 
night,  thus  showing  a  willingness  to  place  his  friends  in 
possession  of  a  very  valuable  experience  without  their 
being  subjected  to  the  illi  from  which  he  suffered.  He 
informed  me  that,  having  built  the  fire,  gathered  the  wood, 
etc.,  he  then  walked  to  and  fro  and  attempted  to  collect 
his  thoughts,  but  could  do  so  only  very  imperfectly;  re- 
membered that  he  had  game  in  his  pockets,  but  fully 
realized  the  fact  that  he  could  not  eat;  was  greatly  fatigued, 
but  could  not  sleep.  Burdened  with  his  troubles,  disap- 
pointed and  sad,  he  exclaimed,  "  What  shall  I  do  ?"  The 
answer  came  to  him  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye.  "  Yell !" 
and  yell  he  did !  It  was  these  tremendous  shouts  that 
echoed  through  the  forest,  and  were  heard  in  our  camp 
between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  day 
when  our  photographer  strayed  away.     These  shouts  were 


XI 


1 62 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


but  indistinctly  heard  by  us  ;  we  supposed  that  they  were 
made  by  a  human  being,  but  there  were  doubts  in  our 
miuds  on  this  point.  They  came  to  us  at  intervals  of  five 
or  ten  minutes.  We  fired  guns  in  response  to  them,  but 
it  made  no  difference ;  it  did  not  change  even  the  length 
of  the  intervals.  We  thought  it  was  strange  that  he  did 
not  '-yell"  immediately  after  the  discharge  of  our  guns. 
It  was  strange,  but  he  has  since  explained  all  this  by  say- 
ing, "I  did  not  hear  your  guns;  I  did  not  hear  your 
shouts;"  and  consequently  it  still  seems  strange  to  me 
that  we  were  able  to  hear  his  "yells."  These  facts  can 
only  be  explained  by  some  one  who  possesses  a  more 
thorough  knowledge  of  acoustics  and  our  acoustic  rela- 
tions at  that  moment  than  your  humble  servant. 

The  reader  will  be  still  further  astonished  when  he 
learns  that  it  has  been  definitely  determined  since  that 
eventful  day  that  Mr.  Mildenberger  was  separated  from 
us  by  no  less  than  four  English  geographical  miles.  The 
photographer,  having  yelled  till  he  was  tired  of  this  exer- 
cise, still  continued  to  walk,  walk,  walk !  Although  sorely 
fatigued,  he  was  so  much  disturbed  in  mind  that  when  he 
seated  himself  for  a  moment  he  could  only  remain  in  that 
posture  for  a  few  seconds.  The  hours  dragged  slowly  on, 
midnight  came,  and  he  now  seated  himself  before  the 
blazing  fire,  closed  his  eyes  and  did  sleep.  It  was  the  sleep 
of  exhaustion, — a  troubled  slumber.  In  this  condition  he 
dreamed  that  he  was  a  soldier  once  more ;  that  the  fates  of 
war  had  goiie  against  him.  The  army  to  which  he  belonged 
had  been  operating  in  a  wild  country ;  had  suffered  a  most 
disastrous  defeat ;  the  soldiers  had  fled  from  the  field ;  had 


■  jiii 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


163 


entered  a  great  wilderness,  in  order  to  effect  escape,  but 
that  they  were  closely  pursued  by  a  savage  and  relentless 
foe.  Listen  !  He  even  now  hears  the  shouts  of  the  vic- 
tors ;  they  have  probably  picked  up  some  stragglers  from 
the  defeated  army.  A  few  moments  later  and  he  hears  a 
lively  discharge  of  firearms.  These  sounds  are  followed 
by  some  desultory  musket-shots,  then  all  is  c|uiet  once 
more,  Tl"  photographer  now  fancies  that  the  victors 
have  com  n  on  a  considerable  body  of  his  comrades,  who 
have  attempted  to  defend  themselves  rather  than  surrender 
as  prisoners  of  war.  He  now  realizes  the  imminent  dan- 
ger with  which  he  is  surrounded.  He  imagines  that  he 
is  fleeing  rapidly  before  the  enemy ;  and  we  know  that  he 
is  restless  and  constantly  moving.  Behold  him  now  !  His 
eyes  are  widely  open ;  he  glares  ivildly  about  him ;  still  he 
slumbers.  In  this  disturbed  sleep  he  sees  the  fnerciless  savage 
peering  from  behind  every  forest-tree  and  bush  upon  him. 
He  calls  aloud,  "  What  shall  I  do?  I  am  already  siir- 
rotindedy  He  now  beholds  the  brutal,  bloody,  and  fiend- 
ish Iroquois  Indians  creeping  stealthily  upon  him  ;  they  are 
in  full  war-paint  and  armed  with  their  barbarous  instni- 
ments  of  war.  This  is  their  momsfit  of  triumph  over  a  poor 
defeated  Huron  !  They  have  risen  to  their  feet,  and  noiv 
rush  forward  upon  our  sleeping  soldier  I  The  insti'uments 
of  death  are  already  uplifted ;  an  unearthly  yell  is  Jicard 
which  echoes  from  lake  to  lake  !  Our  photographer  springs 
to  his  feet ;  looks  wildly  about  him.  He  is  now  awake ; 
nevertheless  he  hears  a  doleful  sound :  the  wolves  are 
howling  to-night  like  so  many  de;  .ons.  He  had  frequently 
heard  them  howl,  but  never  befoi^e  did  their  voices  sound  so 


iiiiii 


1 64 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


i 


111 


near  and  hatcfid.  They  are  no  longer  musical  to  his  ear, 
but  truly  demoniacal  to-night.  He  had  been  seated  by  the 
fire  about  two  hours,  but  in  his  horrible  dream  he  had 
suffered  the  pangs  of  a  thousand  deaths.  There  was  no 
more  slumber  for  him  that  night.  He  would  not  even  seat 
himself  before  the  fire,  but  walked  again  "  to  and  fro," 
endeavoring  to  recall  the  meanderings  of  the  previous  day, 
and  to  determine  upon  some  plan  by  which  he  could  return 
to  the  camp.  The  dawn  of  day  finally  appealed.  His 
plan  was  now  matured.  He  would  endeavor  to  retrace 
his  steps ;  if  lie  could  do  this,  then  he  could  finally  rec.ch 
us  once  more.  TLf^  idea  that  it  would  become  necessary 
for  him  to  retrace  his  steps  hatl  not  occurred  to  him  during 
his  wanderings  of  the  previous  day.  He  had  moved  off 
boldly  then,  ^pviting  to  good  luck  rather  than  any  knowl- 
edrre  of  woodcraft  to  hx\x\si  him  back  to  us.  This  man,  in 
fact,  had  been  absolutely  reckless  in  his  wanderings  since 
he  entered  the  forest.  He  did  not,  apparently,  realize 
that  there  was  danger  in  straying  about  the  wilderness 
without  the  aid  of  a  guide  who  was  familiar  with  every 
lake,  mountain,  and  hill. 

He  had  never  yet  attempted  the  practice  of  that  pre- 
caution which  even  the  best  guides  frequently  take  in  this 
grand  forest,  and  which  they  learned  from  the  Indians.  I 
have  frequently  observed  that  my  guide,  the  moment  he 
started  '"'om  camp,  commenced  to  break  the  twigs  or  small 
branches  of  the  bushes  with  which  he  came  in  contact,  care- 
fully turning  the  broken  twig  backwards  towards  the  camp, 
and  continued  this  practice  until  he  was  nearly  ready  to 
start  homeward,  when  he  would  face  about  and  return  on 


if'' 


OR,   THE  LAKE   LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


i6: 


this  trail.  This  procedure  is  not  practised  after  the  snow 
lias  fallen,  so  long  as  it  remains  capable  of  receiving-  the 
impression  which  makes  the  trail.  Thus  we  find  him  suf- 
fering from  his  own  neglect  •  but  we  feel  assured  that  he  is 
fast  learning  to  live,  and  we  trust  that  he  may  live  long  to 
learn.  Let  us  now  return  to  him.  He  is  surrounded  by 
the  gray  dawn  of  morning ;  is  now  ready  to  attempt  to 
retrace  his  steps.  He  utters  one  tremendous  yell,  which  is 
heard  distinctly  in  our  camp,  four  miles  away.  He  now 
starts  on  his  return  ;  the  captain  at  the  same  time  sets  out 
in  search  of  him.  They  met  in  the  woods ;  it  was  a  joyous 
meeting;  the  woods  resounded  with  their  joyful  shouts. 
We  have  already  described  the  return  of  the  lost  photog- 
rapher to  our  camp,  but  have  said  nothing  in  regard  to  his 
personal  appearance.  This  description  is  possibly  unneces- 
sary to  those  who  have  read  carefully  his  adventure. 

It  is  entirely  natural  that  the  reader  should  suppose  the 
photographer's  expression  to  be  perfectly  woe-begone,  and 
at  the  same  time  that  it  should  be  haggard.  I  can  assure 
him  that  even  these  words  fail  to  convey  any  adequate  idea 
of  the  poor  man's  personal  appearance.  He  had  certainly 
suffered  during  the  last  eighteen  hours  about  as  much  as  it 
is  possible  for  any  man  to  suffer  in  that  brief  space  of  time, 
but  it  had  taught  him  a  valuable  lesson,  one  which  he  did 
not  forget  while  we  remained  in  Canada,  and  if  you  desire, 
even  at  this  date,  to  hear  from  his  own  lips  a  sad  narrative 
of  his  experience  during  the  night  that  he  was  lost  in  the 
•wilderness,  it  is  only  necessary  to  ask  him  about  that  night 
which  he  spent  on  Buck  Lake. 

Our  party  now  encamped   on   Long   Lake,  spent  the 


,ii;j 


1 66 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


time  intervening  between  the  return  of  the  photographer 
anil  the  15th  of  October,  was  spent,  very  pleasantly,  in  deer- 
hunting,  partridge-shooting,  trout-fishing,  and  the  taking 
of  negatives.  On  the  12th  of  October  occurred  a  very  un- 
expected and  memorable  event  in  the  life  of  the  author, — 
his  first  meeting  with  a  large  bull  moose  face  to  face.  It  is 
feared  though  that  this  incident  will  lack  pathos  for  our 
readers,  as  it  did  not  result  tragically  for  either  the  man 
or  the  moose.  The  morning  of  this  eventful  day  was 
spent  by  our  party  in  deer-hunting  and  fishing.  Mid-day 
found  us,  however,  back  in  our  camp.  Both  the  captain  and 
myself  remained  in  cami^  itil  about  four  o'clock,  when  I 
started  out  for  a  tram^ ,  utcing  with  me  two  bird-dogs  and 
a  shot-gun.  The  first  part  of  this  tramp  was  entirely  un- 
eventful, and  the  meeting  which  I  now  report  did  not  occur 
until  about  half-past  five  o'clock.  I  was  at  this  time  walking 
quite  rapidly  down  a  ravine  rhich  was  bounded  on  either 
side  by  low  hills.  The  dogs  were  running  a  few  rods  ahead 
of  me,  when  I  was  suddenly  startled  by  a  noise  in  the 
bushes,  and  instantly  beheld,  standing  before  me,  a  large 
bull  moose  within  less   than  six  rods  of  the  muzzle  of  my 


gun. 


\i 


m 


^:i 


OR,   THE   LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

A  Shot  at  a  Bull  Moose — Following  the  Moose  Trail — Moose-calling — 
Breaking  Camp  on  Long  Lake — Camp  on  Jrail  between  Upper  Long 
and  Sugar-Bush  Lakes— Bad  Weather  and  Consequent  Delay — Prep- 
aration and  Start  on  the  Reconnoissance. 

HIS     animal     was     probably 
lying    down    when    he    dis- 
covered   me,  and    the    noise 
which    attracted    my   attention 
ljT<  ,/    to    the  spot  where  I  saw  him  was 
"^T^i  probably   caused    by   his    rising.      I 

I^A'v  must  confess  that  I  was  taken  some- 
what by  surprise.  I  realized  at 
1^  /  -vM^  this  instant  that  I  was  ill  pre- 
r.'-^aE^fii^-.W'<.':^'^/<,  pared  to  meet  this  sort  ot 
^^.^^^j^^^i-^  game.  The  bird-dogs  ap- 
peared still  more  sur- 
prised ;  they  stood  where  I  first  discovered  them, — only 
about  twenty  feet  from  the  king  of  the  forest,  but  showed 
no  disposition  to  move,  and  they  were  also  silent  as  the 
grave.  This  position  was  firmly  maintained  by  them  until 
the  animal  had  finally  concluded  to  withdraw  from  us.  and 
had  actually  started  off,  when  the  dogs  promptly  followed 
and  gave  tongue  in  great  abundance,  although  I  observed 
that  they  kept  a  very  respectful  distance  from  the  fleeing 
beast.      The   first   glance   which   I   obtained   of   this   huge 


[jIk 


iilllil 


;i!iili 


1 68 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


"  The  first  glance  which  I  obtained  of  this  huge  animal  was  while  he  was  standing 
with  his  side  towards  me." 


K    • 


animal  was  while  he  was  standing  with  his  side  towards  me. 
I  dropped  instantly  on  my  knees  in  order  that  I  might 
more  readily  make  search  for  a  cartridge  ( harged  with 
buckshot.  I  thought  I  had  some  in  the  pocket  of  my 
hunting-coat.  I  drew  from  my  pockets  all  my  cartridges ; 
placing  them  on  the  ground  before  me,  after  examr  \<y 
each  separately,  I  discovered,  to  my  sorrow,  that  all  were 
loaded  with  number  five  shot. 

What  could  I  do?  The  moose  was  now  facing  me, 
having  changed  his  position  and  advanced  a  few  steps 
nearer  towards  me.  He  was  now  looking  directly  at  me, 
and  seemed  to  be  deeply  interested  in  what  I  was  doing. 
At  that  moment  I  removed  from  my  pocket  a  Winchester 
rifle  cartridge,  calibre  44,  and    the    idea  struck  me,  I  will 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


169 


I    ; 


put  this  down  on  the  bird-shot  and  blaze  away  at  this 
animal.  Prompted  by  this  thought,  I  dropped  a  rifle  car- 
tridge into  each  barrel  of  my  shot-gun  and  fired  at  the 
moose's  head.  The  old  king  of  the  forest  did  not  imme- 
diately change  his  position,  but  within  a  few  seconds  he 
lowered  his  head  and  shook  it  violently,  while  at  the  same 
time  he  stamped  on  the  ground.  It  was  evident  that  I 
had  only  succeeded  in  enraging  the  old  monster.  He  was 
now  acting  like  an  infuriated  bull  which  had  been  assailed 
by  the  horseman  and  afterwards  attacked  by  the  banderil- 
leros  in  a  Spanish  bull-fight. 

I  did  not  stop  to  discuss  the  question,  What  will  the 
moose  do  under  these  circumstances  ?  In  fact,  the  thought 
uppermost  in  my  mind  at  that  moment  was,  What  shall  I 
do?  How  can  I  kill  the  monster?  I  renwrnb^^red  that 
after  firing  th'  shot  I  had  thoughtlessly  lowered  the 
mux^Ie  of  my  gun.  thus  allowing  the  rifle-bullet  to  fall  from 
the  barrel  which  I  had  not  yet  discharged.  I  now  began 
t»  search  for  another  rifle  cartridge.  I  finally  found  two. 
The  thpught  now  occurred  to  me,  it  will  be  prudent  to 
reload  the  barr»^l  that  had  bt*  n  emptied.  Unfortunately, 
I  had  trouMe  in  removing  the  empty  carirulge.  While 
thus  enga^vd,  the  animal  began  to  move  sluggishly,  not 
directly  forward,  but  forward  ^\\<X  slightly  to  the  left.  He 
had  not  taken  many  steps  when  I  succeeded  in  getting  the 
ernpty  cartridge  out  of  the  barrel  and  a  loaded  one  into 
its  place,  then  quickly  the  rifle  cartridges  were  dropped  on 
the  bird-shot.  This  work  had  been  performed  too  tardily. 
It  is  true  the  animal  was  still  within  sight.  The  gun  was 
quickly  raised,  but  I  was  unable  to  draw  a  clear  bead  on 


\:r. 


170 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE;  . 


')|^^E 

j 
1 

1 

\', 

li 
!i 

I 

; 

1,1  J 

; 

i'    ;i«| 

i'i 

Unii 

' 

Pf| 

1 

1;? 


ft 


the  fleeing  monster.  I  waited  a  few  seconds,  hoping  for  a 
better  opportunity;  but  finally  he  made  his  escape  without 
my  firing  another  shot  at  him.  I  have  already  said  that 
the  movements  of  this  animal  were  sluggish  at  first,  but 
they  gradually  became  more  rapid,  and  he  had  not  trav- 
elled more  than  five  or  'six  rods  when  his  antlers  were 
thrown  on  his  neck,  and  his  movements  had  become  so 
rapid  as  to  makia  his  body  indistinctly  visible.  The  most 
rapid  movements  of  the  animal  have  been  described  as  a 
shambling  trot,  v^hich  I  am  convinced  is  correct,  while  its 
walk  is  not  less  awkward.  The  bird-dogs,  that  had  re- 
mained immovable  and  as  silent  as  the  dead  in  the  tombs 
of  Egypt  until  the  great  monster  had  fairly  started  away 
from  them,  now  fallowed  in  hot  pursuit  and  gave  an  abun- 
dance of  tongue. 

The  striking  of  the  great  antlers  of  this  king  of  the 
forest  against  the  small  tree  and  brush,  as  he  rapidly 
passed  through  the  woods,  made  nearly  as  much  noise  as 
our  discreet  dogs ;  but  these  sounds  were  soon  lost  to  my 
ears, 

I  do  not  think  that  either  myself  or  the  moose  was  ever 
entirely  satisfied  with  the  termination  of  this  meeting.  It  is 
true  tisat  the  moose  rather  reluctantly  withdrew  from  the 
field  aftfcr  I  had  drawn  blood,  buf  he  did  not  thereby  yield 
to  tlv  d'  -lancf  which  I  had  made.  The  bird-shot  fairly 
peppered  the  poor  animal's  face,  while  the  rifle  cartridge 
went  far  from  the  nmrk  nt  which  il  was  aimed. 

I  now  started  for  thr  lake  shore  in  order  that  I  might 
signal  the  raptain  to  come  for  me  with  a  canoe  and  take  me 
back  to  the  camp,  my  wishes  in  this  matter  being  made 


4* 


'M 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


171 


known  to  him  by  the  firing  of  a  prearranged  signal.  I 
took  the  precaution,  however,  in  this  case  to  break  the 
bushes  along  my  route  to  the  shore,  so  that  I  might  be  able 
to  return  to  this  spot  the  next  morning  in  company  with 
my  guides.  The  captain  now  made  his  appearance,  and 
we  returned  to  camp. 

This  day  had  been  cloudy,  and  there  was  an  occasional 
sprinkling  of  rain,  whilst  during  the  night  there  was  a 
pretty  heavy  fall.  I  dreamed  much  during  the  sleeping 
hours  of  the  night  of  moose  and  moose-huntincr.  We 
arose  the  following  morning  soon  after  daylight.  It  was  still 
cloudy,  but  the  rain  had  ceased.  We  started  immediately 
after  breakfast  for  the  scene  of  my  meeting  with  the  moose. 
The  precaution  which  I  had  taken  on  the  previous  day  en- 
abled me  to  readily  approach  the  spot.  We  discovered 
this  morning  that  an  old  tree  standing  near  where  the 
moosv.'s  head  had  been  had  received  the  rifle  cartridge. 
Prior  to  this  meeting  with  the  moose,  the  question  had 
been  freqwrMlly  discussed  aiound  our  camp  \\\{\  whether  it 
were  practical  to  trail  these  animals  without  the  assistance 
of  a  tracking  snow.  The  niptain  had  firmly  maintained 
that  it  was  impracticable,  more  especially  at  this  particu- 
lar season  while  th(;  ground  is  covered  with  newly-fallen 
leaves,  which  lit;  v(;ry  lightly  on  the  earth-mould  in  which 
the  impression  of  the  foot  is  made.  The  captain,  however, 
informed  us  that  he  had  never  attempted  to  follow  a  trail 
of  the  moose  under  these  circumstances,  but  was,  neverthe- 
less, fully  assured  that  it  could  not  be  done.  The  auth^>r, 
on  the  contrary,  stoutly  maintained  that  it  was  possible,  that 
this  fact  had  been  repeatedly  demonstrated  by  other  sports- 


H 


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172 


7W/?  SPOUTS  MAN'S  PARADISE: 


men,  and  that  it  was  only  necessary  to  examine  their 
records  to  prove  its  feasibility.  The  captain  said  in  reply 
to  this  argument,  "I  don't  believe  very  much  in  these 
statements  made  in  books,  but  I  shall  test  this  question  at 
the  first  opportunity." 

Here  was  the  opportunity,  and  the  captain  was  not  slow 
to  avail  himself  of  it.  We  started  off  on  the  trail,  which 
we  followed  without  inti emission  until  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon.  This  trail  was  very  circuitous.  We  started 
on  it  about  a  mile  from  our  camp,  followed  it  about  eight 
miles,  and  were  then  within  three  hundred  yards  of  our 
tent.  This  morning  was  cloudy ;  some  rain  fell,  though  not 
enough  to  seriously  embarrass  us  ;  but  the  rainfall  of  the 
previous  night  made  the  trailing  of  the  moose  more  difficult 
than  it  would  otiierwise  have  been.  The  morning's  labor 
has  demonstrated  the  fact,  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
captain  and  all  the  others  in  our  party,  that  a  moose  may 
be  quite  easily  trailed  without  the  aid  of  a  tracking  snow. 
It  is  true  that  some  difficulty  is  found  in  those  cases  where 
the  trails  intersect  each  other,  where  the  animals  have 
passed  principally  over  rocky  ground  which  is  not  covered 
with  a  sufficient  amount  of  earth-mould  to  receive  the  im- 
pressions, and  likewise  in  those  cases  where  the  earth  is 
covered  so  completely  with  a  short,  thick  underbrush  that 
the  animal's  foot  does  not  really  come  in  contact  with  the 
earth. 

The  captain  was  very  sceptical  in  regard  to  moose- 
calling,  and  I  attempted  to  convince  him  by  reading  from 
Frank  Forester's  "Field  Sports"  the  following: 

"  Another,  and   yet  more  fatal,  method  by  which  man 


ORy   THE  LAKE   LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


^73 


treacherously  turns  the  poor  brute's  very  pleasure  into  a 
lure  to  certain  death,  is  to  simulate  the  cry  of  the  cow 
moose,  which  is  easily  done  by  immersing  the  lower  end  of 
a  common  cow-horn  partially  in  the  water  of  some  pool  or 
river,  and  blowifig  dirou(,di  it  in  a  note  very  easily  acquired, 
which  perfectly  resembles  the  lowing  of  the  female,  and 
which  rarely  or  never  fails  to  bring  down  the  finest  of  the 
bulls  from  their  haunts  in  the  mountain  glens,  to  the  am- 
bush of"  the  lurking  hunter,  in  search  of  their  amorous 
mates.  The  Indians  use  for  this  purpose  the  bark  of  the 
beech  or  alder,  or  a  postman's  tin  horn,  and  with  this  rude 
implement  are  perfect  adepts  in  producing  the  sound  re- 
quisite to  call  the  bull  to  his  love.  The  afternoon  and  the 
silence  of  the  moonlight  night  are  the  best  times  for  this 
mode  of  hunting,  and  cowardly  and  treacherous  as  it  may 
appear,  it  is  perhaps  the  most  perilous  and  not  the  least 
exciting  method  of  attacking  tliese  giant  deer.  For,  in  the 
first  place,  the  bull  moose  may  generally  be  heard  roaring 
in  the  upland  glens,  responsive  to  the  simulated  call,  long 
ere  they  reach  the  hunter's  station,  and  the  interval  be- 
tween each  successive  bellow,  nearer  and  louder,  and  more 
full  of  passionate  fury,  is  necessarily  a  moment  of  the  keen- 
est excitement.  Then  comes  the  tramp  of  his  approaching 
gallop,  the  crash  of  branches  torn  asunder  by  his  impet- 
uous charge,  and  at  last  the  presence,  in  the  full  heat  and 
heyday  of  his  amorous  rage,  of  the  forest  champion. 
Again  when  he  discovers  that  it  is  a  cheat,  and  that  no  cow 
moose  is  on  the  spot  expectant  of  his  caresses,  his  fury  is 
tremendous  and  appalling;  for,  shy  and  timid  as  is  this 
monstrous  animal  at  every  other  season,  during  the  rutting 


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174 


TI/E  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


time  he  is  dangerous  and  savage  in  the  extreme,  and  will 
even  attack  a  man  when  provoked,  if  he  cross  his  path  ii: 
his  momenti,  of  wanton  dalHance. 

"If  he  discovers  then  the  hunter  who  is  luring  him  by 
playing  with  his  tenderest  passions,  he  will  charge  him  on 
the  instant,  fearless ;  and  woe  betide  the  luckless  wight 
whose  hand  trembles  in  the  a'm,  or  v/hose  rifle  misses  fire 
at  that  crisis.  A  bull  moose  seventeen  or  eighteen  hands 
in  height,  with  antlers  of  six  feet  spread,  and  hoof  as  big 
as  an  ox's,  the  edges  of  which  cut  like  a  sabre,  and  which 
he  can  handle  as  deftly  as  a  prize-fighter,  is  anything  but  a 
pleasant  customer  at  close  quarters." 

This  statement,  however,  failed  to  carry  conviction  (o 
the  captain's  mind,  and  his  reply  was  that  he  had  never 
heard  this  moose-calling,  although  he  had  spent  much  time 
in  these  forests.  In  answer  to  this  statement  I  merely 
called  his  attention  to  the  fact  that  he  had  only  been  ac- 
quainted with  the  moose  ten  or  twelve  years,  since  they 
were  not  previously  found  in  thi?  section  of  Canada ;  and 
that,  even  according  to  his  own  admissions,  he  had  never 
spent  any  time  in  the  moose  country  during  their  rutting 
season.  "  This  is  all  very  true,"  replied  the  captain.  "  I 
shall  now  keep  my  ears  open,  and  if  I  hear  these  bulb 
bellowing,  then  I  shall  be  prepared  to  admit  the  truth  of 
the  statement  made  in  the  book."  He  had  only  a  short 
time  to  wait,  since  the  next  move  brought  us  fairly  into 
the  moose  country,  and  while  we  were  still  pushing  for- 
ward on  the  portage,  having  scarcely  yet  reached  the 
Sportsman's  Paradise,  the  loud  bellovang  of  a  bull  moose 
was   distinctly   heard   by   our   whole   party.     The   captain 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


175 


listened  attentively  to  these  sounds,  and  then  exclaimed, 
"  I  am  satisfied  that  there  is  no  animal  in  those  woods  that 
can  make  such  a  noise  but  the  old  bull  moose ;  let  us  now 
listen  for  the  voice  of  the  cow."  The  packs  were  quickly 
placed  on  the  ground,  and  every  ear  was  attentively  listen- 
ing for  these  sounds.  It  was  not  many  minutes  before  the 
old  bull's  bass  voice  was  distinctly  heard  bellowing  to  his  in- 
amorata, and  the  more  modest  tones  of  the  cow  were  soon 
heard  in  reply.  The  captain  iijstandy  said,  "  I  am  con- 
vinced by  my  own  ears,  and  nothing  less  would  have  ever 
satisfied  m?^."  These  sounds  were  frequently  heard  by  us 
daring  the  ensuing  month  while  we  remained  in  the  moose 
country,  but  we  soon  lost  our  interest  in  them,  inasmuch 
as  the  question  which  had  been  raised,  in  regard  to  calling 
these  animals,  was  now  effectively  settled. 

Our  departure  from  the  camp  on  Long  Lake  took  place 
on  the  15th  of  October.  The  leaves  had  mostly  disap- 
peared from  the  deciduous  trees  in  this  wilderness,  thus 
extending  our  vision,  and  affording  us  a  better  opportunity 
t6  "  still  hunt"  successfully.  We  had  awaited  this  condition 
of  things  with  much  anxiety,  but  a  still  further  improve- 
ment would  probably  soon  follow.  A  light  tracking  snow 
would  now  render  most  favorable  the  conditions  for  moose- 
huntinof.  The  falling  of  the  leaves  had  admitted  light  into 
the  woods,  and  now  a  slight  fall  of  snow,  three  or  four 
inches,  would  enable  the  sportsman  to  noiselessly  follow 
his  game  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances.  The 
most  favorable  condition  for  still-hunting  commonly  follows 
soon  after  a  fall  of  snow.  During  the  storm  the  game 
remains  inactive ;  but  when  it  has  ceased,  the  moose,  deer, 


■ii; 


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Hi 


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hi  'i 


h'  i'. 


176 


r/f£  SFOu,.  ^SMAAT'S  PARADISE; 


and  other  animals  come  out  from  their  covers  and  leave 
their  fresh  imprints  on  the  snow,  where  there  were  pre- 
viously no  tracks  or  traces.  Under  those  circumstances 
no  time  need  be  lost  in  an  examination  of  the  track  for  the 
purpose  of  determining  whether  it  be  new  or  old ;  but 
when  several  days  have  elapsed  since  the  fall  of  snow,  then 
it  remains  to  be  determined  whether  the  imprints  are  fresh 
before  the  sportsman  spends  much  time  on  them.  The 
reader  will  now  remember  that  this  hunt  was  organized 
especially  for  the  purpose  of  hunting  the  moose,  and,  inas- 
much as  our  guides  were  entirely  inexperienced  in  the  art 
of  "  calling,"  it  therefore  was  necessary  for  us  to  depend 
entirely  on  trailing  them.  The  halt  on  Long  Lake  was 
preparatory  for  the  work  which  was  to  follow. 

Having  spent  considerable  time  in  these  preparations, 
and  also  in  awaiting  the  arrival  of  those  conditions  favor- 
able to  moose-hunting,  we  finally  broke  camp  about  eight 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  October  15.  We  travelled  in 
our  canoes  as  far  as  the  head  of  Long  Lake.  We  then 
crossed  over  the  portage  from  this  lake  to  Beaver  Pond. 
The  distance  from  Long  Lake  to  the  pond  is  about  a  mile 
and  a  half.  The  guides  were  rather  slow  in  bringing  up 
our  luggage  this  morning;  and,  therefore,  for  the  purpose 
of  passing  the  time  pleasantly,  I  started  off  into  the  woods, 
taking  with  me  Ponto  and  Bummer  in  search  of  partridges. 
I  found  a  number  of  birds  about  two  miles  from  the  pond, 
and  killed  two  with  my  rifle.  I  then  made  an  attempt  to 
return  to  the  place  which  I  had  left  in  the  early  part  of  the 
day.  This  was  a  much  more  difficult  task  than  I  had  an- 
ticipated ;  but,  after  having  wandered  about  some  time,  1 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


177 


finally  struck  the  trail  which  I  had  passed  over  in  the 
morning.  I  was  now  in  doubt  in  regard  to  the  direction 
which  I  should  here  take,  but  started  off  promptly,  knowing 
full  well  that  I  should  soon  recognize  some  familiar  object. 
I  soon  found  myself  once  more  on  Long  Lake.  It  was 
now  entirely  clear  to  my  mind  what  r.ust  be  done.  It  was 
only  necessary  for  me  to  turn  about  and  follow  the  trail 
back  to  Beaver  Pond ;  which  was  very  easily  accomplished 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  passage  of  our  party  over  the 
same  during  the  day  had  converted  it  into  a  well-marked 
pathway.  I  soon  reached  this  pond,  but  a  new  difficulty 
was  now  encountered.  The  photographer  and  both  guides 
had  moved  forward  from  this  spot  towards  the  next  lake, 
taking  with  them  all  the  baggage,  and  inasmuch  as  they 
travelled  in  the  canoes,  the  trail  was  lost  at  the  water's 
edge  only  a  few  feet  from  the  spot  where  I  had  been  in 
the  morning,  but  I  did  not  know  where  I  would  be  able 
to  pick  it  up  again.  There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  Dark- 
ness would  soon  be  on  U3.  I  now  determined  to  walk 
around  the  pond ;  a  somewhat  difficult  task,  owing  to  the 
marshes  or  swamps  that  surrounded  it.  I  was  fortunate 
in  finding  the  trail  made  by  our  party  where  it  left  this 
pond,  and  promptly  started  forward  on  it,  being  happily 
rewarded  by  coming  up  with  my  friends  after  a  brisk  walk 
of  about  twenty  minutes.  The  trail  that  I  was  now  fol- 
lowing I  found  to  be  remarkably  clear,  owing  to  the  fact 
that  it  had  been  so  recently  made.  The  photographer  and 
guides  had  halted  on  the  portage,  erected  their  tents,  and 
were  prepared  to  spend  the  night  pleasantly. 

The  deer-dogs  were  absent  from  the  camp  this  morning 

la 


I'-'l 


I  I 


I 


ill 


178 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S   PARADISE; 


\  %  :  %. 


when  we  moved  out,  and  have  not  yet  made  their  appear- 
ance. The  following  day  was  spent  on  the  portage.  The 
captain  returned  in  the  morning  to  the  old  camp  on  Long . 
Lake,  and  there  found  the  missing  dogs,  which  he  immed- 
iately brought  forward.  George  Ross  commenced  at  an 
early  hour  to  carry  forward  our  luggage  to  the  nekt  lake. 
The  following  night  found  us  encamped  on  the  portage 
leading  from  Upper  Long  Lake  to  Sugar-Bush  Lake.  I  am 
aware  of  the  fact  that  having  written  much  of  Long  Lake, 
it  is  unfortunate  to  be  compelled  to  write  of  another  lake  as 
T  Ipper  Long  Lake,  but  this  condition  of  things  seems  un- 
avoidable, since  these  names  are  the  only  ones  which  have 
heretofore  been  applied  to  these  bodies  of  water.  It  was 
eight  days  after  our  departure  from  the  camp  on  Long 
Lake,  where  we  had  prepared  our  venison  and  made  every- 
thing ready  for  the  grand  moose-hunt,  before  we  really 
started  out  on  the  long-contemplated  reconnoissance.  This 
time  was  not,  however,  spent  in  complete  idleness.  The 
reader  will  remember  that  we  started  from  Long  Lake  on 
the  morning  of  the  1 5th  of  October,  and  that  we  reached 
our  camping-ground,  which  is  on  the  portage  between  Upper 
Long  Lake  and  Sugar-Bush  Lake,  on  the  evening  of  the 
1 6th,  thus  having  consumed  two  days  in  travelling  towards 
the  moose  country.  This  camp  is  situated  about  ten  rods 
from  Upper  Long  Lake  and  ?*  half-mile  from  Sugar-Bush 
Lake.  V/hile  the  guides  were  clearing  the  ground  which 
we  had  selected  for  our  tent,  they  discovered  a  considerable 
number  of  modern  Indian  relics.  This  discovery  led  them 
to  look  about  the  spot  more  carefully,  and  a  few  minutes' 
observation  was  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  whole  party  that 


m 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


179 


this  ground  had  been  occupied  as  an  Indian  camp  within  a 
few  years.  The  most  of  the  large  trees  had  then  disap- 
peared, but  since  tliat  time  a  thiclc  underbrush  had  sprung 
up.  Tiie  captain  remembered  that  an  Indian  tribe  had 
located  here  about  ten  years  previously,  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  maple-sugar  during  a  single  season,  and 
then  departed  for  parts  to  him  unknown.  It  was  this  fact 
which  had  given  the  name  (Sugar-Bush)  to  the  lake  that 
was  situated  about  half  a  mile  from  our  camp.  We  dis- 
covered about  here  many  old  birch-bark  vessels,  some  of 
which  were  employed  by  them  to  receive  the  sap  as  it 
came  from  the  trees,  and  others  that  had  evidently  been 
used  to  transport  it  from  the  trees  to  the  spot  where  it 
was  evaporated,  or  "  boiled  down,"  as  the  backwoodsmen 
say. 

The  weather  during  our  stay  in  this  camp,  prior  to 
taking  our  departure  for  the  reconnoissance,  was  exceed- 
ingly changeable.  One  day  it  might  rain.  The  next  would 
probably  give  us  a  variety;  thus,  in  the  morning  it  might  be 
cloudy,  but  before  noon  we  might  get  rain,  snow,  and  hail, 
followed  by  a  cold  night  and  the  formation  of  ice.  In  other 
cases  the  rainfalls  were  accompanied  with  heavy  thunder 
and  followed  by  warm  sunshine.  This  sort  of  weather  was 
not  encouraging  to  any  party  of  sportsmen  contemplating 
cutting  loose  from  their  base,  leaving  behind  them  tents  and 
blankets,  sleeping  in  the  woods  without  shelter,  and  all  this 
exposure  and  hardship  merely  for  the  love  of  the  chase. 
Furthermore,  the  reader  should  at  this  point  fully  under- 
stand that  even  now  we  are  having  very  fine  sport.  Since 
our  arrival  here  we  have  killed  many  deer,  have   taken 


T^ 


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1 80 


TJI£  SPORTSMAA/'S  PARADISE; 


many  trout,  and  the  photographer  has  kept  our  larder 
amply  supplied  with  ruffed  grouse.  In  this  camp  our  sup- 
plies have  been  most  plentiful,  and  I  have  been  rather  re- 
luctantly compelled  to  think  that  our  guides  have  very  litde 
anxiety  to  \!J  forward ;  but  my  wishes  in  this  matter  do  not 
harmonize  with  theirs.  I  came  into  this  wilderness  for  the 
special  purpose  of  hunting  the  moose,  and  I  am  determined 
to  accomplish  this  object. 

We  find  many  moose-tracks  in  these  woods  ;  we  have 
spent  two  days  in  trailing,  but  they  have  thus  far  eluded 
us.  I  am  satisfied,  in  my  own  mind,  that  we  are  scarcely 
yet  on  the  border  of  the  Sportsman's  Paradise.  That 
there  is  such  a  place  I  am  not  prepared  to  deny ;  but  the 
all-important  question  at  this  moment  is.  How  shall  I  now 
reach  it  ?  It  is  feared  that  the  reader,  at  this  moment,  is 
ready  to  assert  that  my  faith  is  not  well  founded.  I  must, 
therefore,  ask  him  to  keep  silence  for  the  time  being,  while 
I  assure  him  that  I  have  studied  this  question  very  care- 
fully since  my  arrival  in  Canada,  and  have  still  an  abun- 
dance of  faith.  Let  the  reader  carefully  review  with  me 
the  ground-work  of  my  faith  before  he  follows  me  on  my 
reconnoissance,  because  I  wish  him  to  become  an  enthusiast, 
in  order  that  he  may  enjoy  this  moose-hunt  as  I  enjoyed 
it.  Therefore  I  will  here  confide  to  him  the  fact  that,  prior 
to  my  departure  for  Canada  in  1884,  I  had  positively 
learned  that  Captain  Ross  and  his  brother,  Wellington, 
had  already  killed  several  moose  in  this  country.  The 
exact  numb  "^  I  had  not  yet  learned.  After  my  arrival,  I 
ascertained  from  the  captain  that  he  had  killed  ten  and  his 
brother   had   killed  a  somewhat  smaller  number.      I  now 


I  I        ( 

1      ' 
1 1' 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


I8l 


endeavored  to  locate  the  place  where  these  successes  had 
occurred,  and,  at  the  same  time,  to  fix  the  limit  or  the  ex- 
treme range  of  the  moose.  Both  the  captain  and  Welling- 
ton agreed  that  their  successful  moose-hunts  had  taken 
place  near  the  divide  of  the  water-sheds  of  the  Maganeta- 
wan  and  Ottawa  Rivers,  about  twenty-five  miles  west  of 
the  source  of  the  Petarwawa  River.  They  were  united 
in  asserting  that  they  had  killed  their  moose  within  a  space 
of  less  than  two  miles  square,  but  they  supposed  that  the 
moose  ranged  over  a  space  in  this  forest  seventy-five  miles 
square.  Wellington  supposed  the  centre  of  the  moose 
region  to  be  near  the  source  of  the  Petarwawa  River,  and 
he  was  inclined  to  urge  us  forward  to  ihat  point  as  the 
most  desirable  spot  to  commence  our  hunt. 

The  captain,  however,  opposed  this  suggestion  on  the 
grounds  that  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  transport, 
from  a  point  so  distant,  our  trophies.  It  was  also  apparent 
to  me  that,  inasmuch  as  neither  of  my  guides  had  ever 
been  in  the  Petarwawa  country,  it  would  probably  be 
better  to  keep  on  the  ground  with  which  the  captain  was 
already  familiar.  The  question  which  I  raised  in  the  early 
part  of  my  sojourn  in  the  woods,  during  this  hunt,  was. 
How  shall  we  most  advantageously  locate  the  whereabouts 
of  moose  in  the  greatest  abundance?  The  fact  was  recog- 
nized by  all  our  party  that  the  moose  might  be  found 
scattered  over  a  very  large  portion  of  this  territory,  but 
it  was  also  unquestionably  true  that  in  certain  districts 
they  would  be  found  in  large  numbers,  I  had  carefully 
discussed,  with  the  captain  and  his  brother,  the  most  prac- 
tical method  of  starting  a  moose-hunt,  and  had  suggested 


m 


i:  ■. : 


l82 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


\ 


!'!"■!■' 


Ui 


t: 


ii^  I 


'■"■  '   il 


11 


,■1 


II 


!: 


to  them  the  plan  which  was  finally  adopted,  and  designated 
by  us  as  a  reconnoissance. 

This  plan,  as  adopted,  required  the  consideration  of 
two  very  important  subjects.  It  had  been  determined  that 
the  reconnoissance  should  include  the  making  of  a  circuit 
of  eighty  or  one  hundred  miles.  The  performance  of  this 
task  would  require  about  four  or  five  days.  We  have 
already  considered  some  of  the  questions  pertaining  to 
the  locality  of  the  hunt,  and  have  finally  determined  that 
our  circuit  shall  embrace  the  ground  which  has  already 
been  so  successfully  hunted  over  by  the  captain  and  his 
brother. 

The  next  important  question  demanding  our  consider- 
ation is,  Where  shall  we  abandon  our  tents  and  luggage? 
The  point  selected  for  this  purpose  must  be  such  as  will 
recommend  it  on  account  of  its  proximity  to  the  ground 
on  which  the  hunt  is  to  be  made,  while  it  is  likewise 
highly  important  that  it  should  not  be  too  far  removed 
from  some  point  which  is  accessible  to  an  ox-team  and 
jumper,  inasmuch  as  the  lakes  and  rivers  will  be  frozen 
over  before  our  hunt  is  ended,  and  thus  closed  against  our 
canoes.  These  questions  were  all  carefully  discussed,  and 
the  captain's  thorough  knowledge  of  the  country  enabled 
him  to  determine  for  us  all  these  highly-important  points. 
He  assured  me  that  our  tents  and  other  luggage  could  be 
brought  to  a  point  about  five  miles  distant  from  the  nearest 
settler's  cabin,  and  there,  he  thought,  we  could  obtain  the 
services  of  the  ox-team  and  jumper.  It  should  be  re- 
membered, however,  by  our  readers  who  are  unacquainted 
with  these  grand  forests,  that  some  sort  of  a  road  must 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


183 


exist  in  order  to  make  the  ox-team  and  jumper  available 
in  these  cases.  The  captain  informed  us  that  the  road 
which  now  terminated  at  the  settler's  cabin  was  only  avail- 
able for  this  sort  of  travel ;  and  we  therefore  determined 
to  move  our  camp  from  its  present  location  forward  to 
Camp  Lake,  where  we  would  be  only  about  five  miles  from 
Mr.  Harkness's  clearings,  the  nearest  pioneer  settler. 
This  movement  was  fmally  postponed  until  after  the  re- 
connoissance,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  thought  barely 
possible  that  our  discovery  of  moose  in  some  unexpected 
part  of  the  forest  might  render  some  other  base  more 
desirable.  The  arrangements  for  this  reconnoissance  con- 
templated the  maintenance  of  camp  in  our  rear,  where  the 
trophies  of  the  hunt,  the  photographer's  instruments,  and 
other  luggage  could  remain  safely  in  the  care  of  Milden- 
berger,  while  the  captain,  George  Ross,  and  myself  were 
making  our  tour  through  this  grand  forest  for  the  pur- 
pose of  determining  the  exact  locality  where  the  moose 
were  to  be  found  in  the  greatest  abundance.  It  therefore 
became  necessary  for  the  guides,  before  our  start,  to  pre- 
pare the  wood  for  Mr.  Mildenberger  (inasmuch  as  he  had 
not  yet  become  expert  in  the  use  of  the  axe)  which  would 
enable  him  to  keep  the  fire  burning  during  our  absence. 
It  vvas  also  thought  necessary  to  take  enough  bread  to 
serve  the  whole  party  through  the  entire  reconnoissance. 
Attempts  at  these  preparatory  efforts  were  often  made  last 
week,  but  in  every  instance  the  work  vvas  interrupted  by  a 
storm.  The  weather  has  been  very  unfavorable.  Storm 
after  storm  has  interfered  with  our  plans.  I  am  now  tired 
of  and   impatient  with  these  delays.     I  must  soon  push 


t  ; 


I 


i    I 
,1 


i 


! 


,., 


!' 


I        I 


1 . 


784 


T//E  SPORTSAfAN'S  PARADISE: 


forward  the  reconnoissance  and  thus  put  an  end  to  this 
anxiety  and  doubt,  whether  the  weather  becomes  more 
favorable  or  not,  as  I  can  no  longer  endure  this  suspense. 
Deer-hunting  has  already  become  monotonous  to  me,  and 
I  am  determined  to  seek  in  this  grand  forest  larger  game, 
otiier  scenery,  and  new  excitement  in  the  chase. 

1  am  told  by  the  captain  that  the  exposure  and  fatigue 
inseparable  from  moose-stalking  is  so  great  as  to  deter 
many  of  the  pioneer  backwoodsmen  from  attempting  to 
participate  in  it.  He  pictures  for  me  the  discomforts  that 
may  arise  from  a  severe  storm  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
when  we  are  separated  from  our  tents  and  blankets,  and 
thus  compelled  to  endure  its  merciless  peltings  after  a  long 
and  weary  day's  tramp.  He  reminds  me  of  the  fact  that 
when  I  first  came  into  the  Canadian  forest,  only  a  few  years 
since,  I  was  scarcely  able  to  endure  the  hardships  ol  an 
ordinary  deer-hunt,  and  then  asks  me,  Can  you  nozu  tramp 
forty  miles  in.  a  day,  sleep  on  the  frozen  ground  at  night, 
and  repeat  this  effort  for  several  days  continuously  ?  He 
likewise  kindly  suggested  that  he,  accompanied  by  George 
Ross,  could  make  this  reconnoissance  while  I  remained  in 
the  camp  with  th^  photographer,  and  thus  avoided  the 
hardships  attendant  on  the  discovery  of  the  most  favorable 
locality  for  moose-hunting.  It  should  here  be  remembered 
by  our  readers  that  it  was  now,  at  this  time,  our  intention 
to  discover  the  whereabouts  of  the  game  which  we  sought, 
rather  than  to  kill  the  same. 

This  proposition  was  rejected  by  the  author,  since  it  did 
not  harmonize  with  his  wishes.  He  desired  greater  activity, 
new  sports,  and  changed  surroundings. 


on,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


185 


■ed 


The  23d  day  of  October  had  been  reached;  our  party 
was  still  encamped  on  the  portage  between  Upper  Long 
and  Sugar-Bush  Lakes ;  the  preceding  night  iiad  been 
cold  and  rainy,  the  morning  was  cold  and  cloudy,  with  oc- 
casional gusts  of  wind  accompanied  by  falls  of  snow  and 
hail.  This  damp,  cold  atmosphere  is  productive  of  a  chilly, 
disagreeable  sensation  which  seems  to  permeate  every  part 
of  our  bodies  while  we  stand  listlessly  about  our  camp- 
fire.  These  disagreeable  sensations,  coupled  with  autumn's 
grave  and  cheerless  surroundings,  ha/e  caused  me  to  think 
this  morning  of  my  fireside  and  family.  The  leafless  trees, 
sombre  clouds,  angry  gusts  of  wind,  and  the  pelting  storms 
do  not  commonly  produce  in  me  the  most  agreeable  meiual 
condiuons,  but  that  morning  I  was  especially  gloomy.  It 
was  therefore  necessary  that  I  should  make  some  effort  to 
arouse  myself  from  this  horrible  condition  of  despondency. 
I  could  not  bear  the  thought  of  remaining  one  day  longer 
inactive  in  camp.  It  was  therefore  necessary  that  we 
should  start  immediately  on  our  long-premeditated  recon- 
noissance,  and  start  we  did,  although  the  weather  was  most 
unpromising.  The  announcement  to  my  guides  that  we 
would  make  ready  and  leave  our  camp  as  soon  as  possible 
was,  I  presume,  owing  to  the  unsettled  state  of  the  weather, 
somewhat  of  a  surprise;  however,  but  little  preparation  was 
now  required,  and  before  nine  o'clock  we  took  our  de- 
parture from  camp.  We  started  off  in  the  direction  of 
Sugar-Bush  Lake,  and  discovered  a  fresh  moose-trail  within 
three  hundred  yards  of  our  tent.  These  imprints  of  the 
animal's  feet  left  in  the  soft  earth  were  so  clear  that  we 
were  entirely  satisfied  as  to  his  identity,  and  it  was  equally 


,14 


liiii 


it  A 


I       !  t 
I       'I 


I 

i 

ri 


',''■ 


11!  I 


I     ■!! 


I 

I 


I 

w 


i86 


77^^  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


certain  that  this  traveller  had  crossed  at  this  point  during' 
the  previous  night,  since  there  were  no  tracks  at  this  place 
during  the  preceding  day.  The  tracks  indicated  that  the 
animal  had  passed  leisurely  within  a  few  rods  of  our  tents 
while  we  were  probably  sleeping,  and  near  us  there  were  at 
that  moment  five  dogs.  This  is  the  second  moose  which 
has  come  within  close  proximity  to  us  during  the  night 
since  we  reached  the  Lower  Long  Lake.  Having  spent  a 
few  moments  in  the  examination  of  this  trail,  we  then 
started  forward  and  soon  reached  Sugar-Bush  Lake,  where 
v^e  entered  our  canoes,  paddled  across,  and  were  soon 
tramping  once  more  in  the  forest.  Hail  and  rain,  with  fitf-il 
gusts  of  v/ind,  now  alternated  with  each  other,  but  my  body 
was  warmed  with  the  exercise  and  my  spirits  buoyed  up  in 
anticipation  of  the  grand  and  excidng  chase  or  which  we 
expected  so  soon  to  enter.  Sunshine  was  no  longer  neces- 
sary for  my  happiness,  and  the  "  blue  devils"  which  made 
time  hang  so  heavily  on  my  har.ds  in  the  morning  had  now 
been  driven  off. 

Our  route  this  morning  took  us  through  a  heavily- 
wooded  and  somewhat  hilly  country,  although  our  pro- 
gress was  not  much  impeded  by  underbrush,  and  this,  in 
fact,  is  generally  true  of  the  great  forest  in  which  we  are 
now  journeying,  except  where  we  are  so  unfortunate  as 
to  enter  its  swamps  and  low  ground.  We  have,  hereto- 
fore, travelled  through  this  forest  in  our  canoes,  keeping 
on  the  lakes  and  rivers  as  long  as  this  was  practicable,  en- 
deavoring to  avoid,  so  far  as  possible,  long  portages,  but 
the  country  in  which  we  are  now  about  making  our  recon- 
noissance  is  not  so  well   adapted  to  this  mode  of  travel. 


C/!,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


187 


The  lakes  are  less  numerous  and  the  portages  are  longer  ; 
and,  furthermore,  we  could  not,  in  this  way,  accomplish  the 
object  of  this  movement,  since  we  would  not  be  brought 
int  contact  with  the  evidences  of  the  presence  of  moose, 
which  are  generally  found  only  in  the  forest. 

The  canoes  we  therefore  abandoned  on  Sugar-Bush 
Lake,  and  we  now  endeavored  to  follow  the  ridges  and 
high  ground  as  much  as  possible.  The  captain  is  carrying, 
this  morning,  a  tomahawk,  one  tin  cup,  one  coffee-  or  tea- 
kettle, one  rubber  blanket,  one  single  woollen  blanket, 
a  small  quantity  of  dried  veni.  jn,  bread,  coffee,  tea,  and 
salt.  The  reader  will  now  observe  tliat  we  have  aban- 
don .1  nearly  all  our  camp  luggage,  that  we  are  not  even 
supplied  with  knives  and  forks,  and  possess  only  a  single 
cup  from  which  to  drink  our  coffee,  although  there  are 
three  persons  in  the  party.  The  captain  estimates  the 
weight  of  his  pack  at  fifteen  pounds,  and,  therefore,  may 
be  regarded  as  in  light  marching  trim.  He  walked  in  front 
of  the  party,  George  Ross  and  myself  following  behind, 
sonietimes  in  true  Indian  file,  while  at  others  we  fell  into 
position  oil  the  right  and  left  flanks.  The  captain's  ad- 
vance was  at  all  times  noiseless,  while  his  keen  and  prac- 
tised eye  penetrated  into  every  nook  and  corner.  He 
likewise  listened  to  every  sound,  and  instantly  reconfnized 
the  voice  of  every  bird  and  beast  of  the  forest.  The  long 
and  active  experience  which  he  has  had  in  the  Canadian 
forests  has  made  him  an  expert  in  all  matters  pertaining 
to  woodcraft,  trapping,  and  hunting.  The  morning's 
journey  passed  without  the  occurrence  of  any  incident 
worthy  of  narration.     At  one  o'cloc!:  we  halted  oii  a  high 


W<A 


m 


1 88 


TlfE   SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


ridge,  which,  at  this  moment,  was  whitened  v/ith  snow,  and 
started  a  small  fire  in  order  to  prepare  some  coffee.  A 
fe  V  moments  after  this  halt  was  made,  George  Ross  dis- 
covered  a  partridge  standing  on  the  ground  about  thirty 
yards  from  him.  He  raised  his  Winchester  rifle  and  fired 
two  shots  at  the  bird's  head.  I  then  called  to  this  guide 
to  stop  shooting  at  the  bird  and  give  the  captain  and  my- 
self a  chance.  This  he  readily  consented  to  do,  and  then 
we  took  our  two  shots,  but  still  the  bird  remained  un- 
harmed, and  finally  concluded  to  fly  off  without  causing 
the  waste  of  more  ammunition.  This  failure  to  kill  our 
game  must  be  explained,  I  think,  by  the  extreme  politeness 
of  the  bird,  which  continued  to  render  obeisance  to  us  by 
unceasingly  bowing  its  head  from  the  moment  when  it  was 
first  discovered  until  it  flew  away. 

Lest  the  reader  should,  however,  find  himself  inclined 
to  think  that  the  failure  was  simply  due  to  a  want  of  skill, 
which  he  may  now  imagine  that  he  possesses,  I  will  here 
only  venture  to  suggest  that,  when  an  opportunity  offers, 
he,  too,  should  try,  as  an  experiment,  to  decapitate,  with  a 
rifle,  an  exceedingly  polite  partridge  while  it  is  constantly 
bowing  its  head. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


189 


CHAPTER   X. 

The  First  Dinner — Killed  a  Deer — Following  a  Moose-Trail — Camped  on 
THE  Trail — Preparation  for  spending  the  Night — Our  Lean-to — A 
Snow-Storm — Long,  Dreary  Tramp — Discovery  ok  a  Moose-Yard — A 
Highly-Exciting  Chase— Killed  two  Red  Deer — A  Disgusted  and  Angry 
Captain— Honest  Toil  brings  Refreshing  Sleep — The  Hunt  resumed. 


OFFEE  having-  been  prepared,  the  captain 
opened  his  pack,  drew  from  it  some  dried 
venison  and  cramper,  a  preparation  which 
is  sometimes  by  courtesy  called  bread, 
and  then  proceeded  to  distribute  these 
articles  to  the  party.  He  then  filled 
the  tin  cup  with  hot  coffee,  passed  the 
same  to  me,  and  when  I  had  taken  a 
drink  of  this  delicious  beverage  I  returned  it  to  him, 
and  he  proceeded  to  quench  his  thirst,  and  then  passed 
the  cup  to  George  Ross.  In  this  manner  the  cup  was 
kept  circulating,  and  we  were  thus  supplied  with  our 
coffee.  The  captain  was  the  only  individual  in  our  party 
supplied  with  a  hunting-knife,  George  Ross  and  myself 
were,  however,  provided  with  rather  small  pocket-knives ; 
it  will  therefore  be  readily  seen  that  the  captain  was 
able  to  make  the  rough  sections  of  dried  venison  and 
cramper  with  his  knife,  while  we  could  with  our  own  im- 
plements make  the  necessary  subdivisions,  and  thus  pre- 
pare our  food  for  mastication.  Neither  forks  nor  plates 
had  been  provided  for  this  reconnoissance ;  fingers  taking 


: 

w 

^pP 

^1 

i 

i  - ' 

;  !!i 


3!! 


■hi 


190 


riTE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


the  place  of  the  former  article,  while  a  chip  from  a  neigh- 
boring tree,  or  a  suitable  piece  of  birch-bark,  served  as  a 
very  good  substitute  for  the  latter.  The  earth,  which  we 
commonly  employed  as  a  table,  and  which  we  likewise 
used  in  lieu  of  camp-stools  or  chairs  when  taking  our 
meals,  was  now  covered  with  snow,  and  consequently  we 
remained  standing  while  taking  this  mid-day  meal. 

Ample  justice  having  been  done  to  the  coffee,  dried 
venison,  and  cramper,  and  without  waiting  for  dessert, 
finger-bowl,  or  cigars,  we  moved  forward.  We  had  pro- 
ceeded about  one  mile  from  the  spot  where  the  halt  had 
been  made  for  our  dinner  when  thf.  captain,  who  was 
leading  the  party,  being  only  a  few  yards  in  advance  of 
George  Ross  and  myself,  raised  his  right  hand  as  a  signal 
for  us  to  come  to  a  stand-still ;  but  he  soon  after  beckoned 
us  to  come  forward  to  the  spot  where  he  stood.  He  had, 
at  the  moment  when  he  gave  the  signal  to  stop,  just 
reached  a  point  near  the  top  of  a  ridge,  which  we  were 
ascending,  that  enabled  him  to  overlook  this  eminence  and 
obtain  a  view  of  another  ridge,  distant  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  yards.  The  instant  he  gave  this  signal  it  was 
plain  to  both  George  and  myself  that  he  had  sighted  game. 
His  manner  at  such  times  was  always  characteristic,  and 
could  not  Le  misinterpreted  by  those  who  were  familiar 
with  him.  The  instant  he  sighted  game  he  would  throw 
up  his  right  hand  and  then  remain  as  motionless  as  a 
marble  statue,  unless  he  desired  to  bring  either  George 
or  myself  to  his  side ;  but  the  second  signal  was  sure  to 
follow  the  first  during  this  reconnoissance,  since  the  cap- 
tain did  not  carry  a  gun. 


OR,    THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


191 


Promptly  after  the  second  signal  was  given,  in  this 
instance,  both  George  and  myself  were  at  the  captain's 
side.  He  now  whispered  in  my  ear,  "There  stands  a  fine 
buck  on  the  next  ridge;  what  shall  we  do,  kill  him  or 
not?"  Prior  to  our  departure  from  the  old  camp  this 
morning  I  had  told  the  captain  that  I  preferred  not  to  kill 
game,  except  one  bull  moose,  the  head  of  which  I  desired 
as  a  souvenir,  unless  the  flesh  could  be  used  as  food ; 
hence  this  conversation,  in  which  the  captain  urged  the 
slaughter,  and  I  rather  reluctantly  consented  to  it.  Al- 
ready the  novelty  of  deer-shooting  had  worn  off  with  me, 
having  been  in  the  woods  now  more  than  a  month,  and  I 
therefore  found  myself  strongly  disinclined  to  continue  the 
slaughter  except  to  keep  up  the  food-supply. 

The  captain's  next  inquiry  was,  *'  Will  you  take  the  shot 
or  shall  George  have  it?"  My  answer  was  in  favor  of 
George,  who  now  dropped  quietly  on  his  knee,  drew  a  fine 
bead  on  the  animal,  which  was  at  this  moment  slowly  walk- 
ing along  the  ridge,  and  within  a  few  seconds  pulled  the 
trigger  which  sent  the  leaden  pill  from  his  trusty  Winches- 
ter rifle  into  the  side  of  the  beautiful  creature,  which  had 
not  yet  either  scented  or  seen  danger.  The  instant  the 
white  puff  of  smoke  was  seen  to  issue  from  the  muzzle  of 
the  gun  the  deer  leaped  high  in  the  air  and  bolted  forward 
with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  the  motion  of  the  animal  being 
now  so  rapid  as  to  render  his  form  indistinctly  visible,  but 
after  thus  running  about  five  hundred  yards  its  movements 
became  perceptibly  slower,  more  irregular,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  bullet  had  struck  a  vital  part.  A  moment 
later  the  captain  shouted,  "  He  has  fallen  !"  quickly  after- 


'1    I 

1  I 

h 


^lt|! 


J,  'I 


i  I 


..ii 


!  i 


193 


rHE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE ; 


wards,  •'  He  is  up  again !"  but  scarcely  had  these  sounds 
passed  away  when  the  deer  passed  over  a  ridge  and  was 
thus  lost  to  view.  We  started  promptly  forward  to  the 
spot  where  the  animal  had  been  seen  to  fall ;  there  we 
found  the  ground  covered  with  blood,  and  from  this  point 
we  could  easily  follow  him  by  the  bloody  trail.  He  was 
finally  found  dead  on  the  slope  of  a  hillock  only  a  few 
yards  from  the  spot  where  he  had  been  last  seen. 

It  took  the  captain  but  a  few  moments  to  remove  the 
skin  and  cut  from  the  carcass  a  choice  piece  of  venison 
sufficient  for  our  supper  and  breakfast,  when  we  were  again 
off  on  the  tramp. 

The  storm  had  now  ceased,  a  little  later  a  bright  sun- 
shine had  lighted  up  our  pathway  through  the  woods,  the 
snow  which  covered  the  fallen  leaves  rapidly  disappeared, 
while  the  fitful  gusts  of  wind  which  prevailed  in  the  morn- 
ing v/ere  entirely  absent  in  the  evening.  The  morning  and 
the  early  part  of  the  afternoon  had  passed  without  the  dis- 
covery of  any  fresh  moose  signs,  but  our  search  was  re- 
warded later  in  the  day,  when  we  struck  a  very  promising 
trail.  The  herd  consisted  of  three  animals,  presumed  to  be 
one  bull  and  two  cows,  but  I  think  there  is  a  certain  amount 
of  uncertainty  in  the  prognosticating  of  the  sex,  since  it  is 
entirely  based  on  the  size  of  the  track  made  by  the  animal. 
We  discovered  that  these  animals  had  been  browsing  near 
the  point  where  we  struck  their  trail,  and  furthermore,  the 
tracks  had  evidently  been  made  since  the  snow  had  melted 
off.  Both  these  discoveries  were  very  encouraging,  since 
the  moose  commonly  lies  down  after  eating,  and  conse- 
quendy  the  hunter  reasonably  expects  to  find  him  within  a 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


193 


short  distance  of  the  last  feeding-ground,  while  in  this  in- 
stance the  snow  had  disappeared  within  the  hour  preceding 
our  arrival  on  the  trail. 

The  captain  having  familiarized  himself  with  all  these 
peculiarities  of  the  trail,  speedily  and  forcibly  enjoined  upon 
us  the  necessity  of  moving  forward  with  the  greatest  de- 
gree of  caution,  lest  by  a  careless  step  a  noise  might  be 
made  which  would  frighten  away  the  game  that  we  now 
sought.  We  are  now  in  a  high  state  of  excitement.  The 
grandest  game  in  the  Canadian  forest  is  now  almost  within 
our  reach.  Our  hearts  are  beating  strongly  ;  hope  buoys  us 
up ;  the  long  tramp  of  the  day  is  forgotten ;  we  feel  no 
fatigue  and  fear  no  failure.  The  captain  creeps  along 
through  the  brush,  over  the  fallen  trees,  over  the  rotten 
twigs,  which  are  frequently  so  well  hidden  by  fallen  leaves 
as  to  be  wholly  imperceptible,  but  there  is  no  sound  pro- 
duced by  his  movements.  He  trails  game  as  cautiously  as 
the  cat  follows  the  mouse.  The  sportsman  who  attempts 
to  follow  hin  should  keep  well  in  his  rear,  but  within  easy 
hearing  distance,  so  that  in  the  first  instance  the  game  may 
not  be  frightened  by  a  mis-step,  and  secondly  that  he  may 
be  able  to  come  quickly  into  position  when  shooting  is  to 
be  done. 

Having  spent  about  two  hours  on  this  moose-trail, 
which  was  at  first  very  circuitous,  but  which  finally  lost 
much  of  this  peculiarity,  we  were  reluctantly  compelled  to 
halt  in  order  to  make  the  necessary  preparations  for 
spending  the  night;  we  therefore  encamped  on  this  trail, 
with  the  intention  of  following  it  up  in  the  morning.  The 
first  thing   done  was  the  selection  of  a  suitable  spot  on 

>3 


H  i'T' 


:  3 


194 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


!l'l   , 


Br;;;   n 

M  1 


'M       f 


which  to  erect  our  lean-to.  The  place  selected  for  this 
purpose  was  by  the  side  of  the  body  of  an  old  fallen  tree, 
where  the  ground  was  favorable  for  our  bed, — free  from 
stone,  etc.  The  body  of  this  tree  formed  a  wall,  which 
was  about  two  feet  high,  for  the  lean-to ;  and,  inasmuch  as 
it  rested  firmly  on  the  ground  at  this  point,  effectually  kept 
out  the  wind  on  this  side  of  it.  The  next  thing  done  was 
the  preparation  of  four  poles,  employed  to  support  the 
roof,  which  consisted  of  a  rubber  cloth,  the  dimensions  of 
which  were  about  five  by  seven  feet.  The  poles  were 
about  ten  feet  in  length,  with  a  diameter  at  the  base  of 
two  and  a  half  inches  and  something  less  than  one  inch  at 
the  top.  The  poles,  properly  sharpened  at  the  base,  were 
driven  into  the  ground  on  the  side  of  the  trunk  of  the 
fallen  tree  opposite  to  the  one  on  which  we  intended  to 
make  our  bed,  and  the  distance  was  so  chosen  that  when 
these  supports  rested  on  this  wall,  which  served  as  a  ful- 
crum, or  prop,  the  anterior  portion  of  our  roof  was  raised 
about  four  feet  above  the  ground.  The  rubber  cover  was 
then  placed  over  these  poles  and  made  fast  by  the  use  of 
shoe-strings,  that  we  had  brought  with  us,  after  which  the 
ends  of  our  habitation  were  closed  by  evergreen  boughs, 
selected  for  this  purpose.  It  will  now  be  seen  by  the 
reader  that  the  lean-to  has  been  so  constructed  as  to  close 
the  sides  of  it  against  the  wind,  and  that  only  the  front 
remains  open,  before  which  there  is  placed  a  fire,  which 
is  kept  burning  during  the  whole  night,  and  which  may  be 
easily  so  managed  as  to  supply  the  requisite  amount  of 
heat.  It  was  still  necessary  to  provide  wood  for  the  fire 
and  balsam  twigs  for  the  bed.     This  was  promptly  done, 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


195 


the  wood  being  placed  in  such  a  position  as  to  occasion 
little  inconvenience  to  put  it  on  the  fire  when  it  was  re- 
quired, while  the  twigs  were  arranged  in  the  most  ap- 
proved style  for  the  bed.  The  next  order  of  business 
consisted  in  the  preparat'  n  of  the  evening  meal,  which 
was  composed  of  venison,  coffee,  and  bread.  The  fresh 
venison  was  cut  into  suitable  pieces  and  then  roasted  on 
the  spits  over  our  fire,  while  the  coffee  was  prepared  in 
the  usual  manner.  The  fresh  deer-skin  was  brought  into 
use  as  a  partial  cover  (although  the  only  one  we  pos- 
sessed) for  the  balsam  twigs  composing  our  bed.  Having 
completed  our  evening  meal,  we  then  took  such  positions 
about  the  fire  as  enabled  us  to  dry  our  clothing,  after 
which  we  made  ready  to  retire  by  simply  removing  our 
boots,  which  is  done  as  a  precautionary  act  to  prevent  the 
destruction  of  the  same  by  fire.  The  balance  of  the 
wardrobe  is  retained  on  our  bodies  as  an  additional  pro- 
tection against  cold,  since  we  only  possess  a  single  blanket 
with  which  to  cover  the  whole  party.  The  author  has 
d'^tailed  thus  minutely  the  preparations  made  for  spending 
the  first  night  while  we  were  out  on  our  reconnoissance, 
and  this  will  answer  for  the  succeedingr  ones  while  we  were 
thus  engaged. 

I  suffered  somewhat  from  the  cold  during  the  night, 
especially  my  feet,  but  my  body  was  pretty  well  protected 
by  sleeping  between  the  captain  and  George  Ross.  The 
first  part  of  the  night  was  comparatively  warm,  but  before 
the  dawn  of  day  it  became  very  cold,  and  ice  formed  nearly 
or  quite  an  inch  thick  on  the  little  pools  of  water  near  us. 

Thus   terminates  the  record  of  the  first  day  spent  on 


i 


iri 


196 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


'[  I 


;  I 


our  reconnoissance,  while  the  second  begins  with  the  fol- 
lowing entries : 

Friday,  October  24. — We  encamped  last  night  on  the 
moose-trail,  but  it  is  obliterated  this  morning  by  a  slight 
fall  of  snow.  The  leaves  were  wet  last  evening,  but  are 
firmly  frozen  now  •  consequently  the  slightest  movement 
in  walking  is  attended  with  a  degree  of  noise  entirely  in- 
compatible with  success  in  still-hunting.  There  is  no 
possibility  of  our  killing  game  until  we  are  able  to  move 
about  more  quietly.  The  storm  continues, — fine,  hard 
flakes  of  snow,  closely  allied  to  hail,  are  falling  about  us, 
and  producing  considerable  noise  by  coming  in  contact 
with  the  frozen  leaves  and  various  parts  of  the  forest-trees. 
The  morning  was  dark  and  gloomy,  but  we  started  off  on 
our  tramp  soon  after  daylight,  having  eaten  our  breakfast 
while  it  was  yet  dark. 

The  entire  party  is  in  good  spirits,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  severe  and  prolonged  efforts  made  yesterday,  there  is 
no  complaint  of  fatigue  or  other  ill  effects  arising  from 
our  tramp.  The  author  found  himself  somewhat  annoyed, 
however,  by  the  entrance  of  snow  into  all  the  crevices  of 
his  clothing,  especially  about  his  neck,  where  it  was  con- 
standy  melting,  and  the  cold  water  gravitating  downward 
over  the  various  parts  of  his  body.  Under  more  favorable 
circumstances  the  remedy  for  this  annoyance  would  have 
been  very  easy ;  but  no  man  in  our  party  is,  at  this  time, 
in  possession  of  a  handkerchief,  and  consequeiitly  "  the  ills 
which  cannot  be  cured  must  be  endured." 

During  the  whole  forenoon  the  storm  continued,  and 
at  one  o'clock,  when  we  halted  for  our  lunch,  the  ground 


m 


on,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


197 


was  everywhere  covered  to  the  depth  of  about  two  inches 
with  snow.  Thus  far  the  day  has  passed  without  the  oc- 
currence of  any  important  events.  In  fact,  we  have  seen 
only  a  single  deer-trail,  no  ruffed  grouse,  and  only  two  red 
squirrels.  The  conditions  for  still  hunting  have,  however, 
gradually  improved,  until  now  we  are  able  to  travel  without 
much  noise.  Our  party  is  cheerful ;  there  is  no  despond- 
ency, although  the  prospect  for  sport  is  not  flattering,  in- 
asmuch as  the  storm  causes  game  to  remain  under  cover. 
Dinner  consisted  of  dried  venison,  bread,  and  coffee.  The 
last  of  our  fresh  venison  was  consumed  at  breakfast  this 
morning.  The  midday  meal  was  partaken  of  in  the  same 
manner  as  that  already  described  in  connection  with  the 
first  day's  tramp,  and  consequently  it  need  not  be  more 
fully  detailed  here.  The  start  was  made  promptly  after 
the  completion  of  this  repast,  inasmuch  as  we  were  less 
comfortable  while  standing  than  when  walking. 

We  have  walked  rapidly  since  our  start  to-day,  have 
not  turned  aside  for  any  purpose,  and  are  off  at  the  same 
pace  and  pushing  forward  in  the  same  direction.  About 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  altered  our  general  course 
from  northeast  to  west,  and  continued  in  the  latter  direc- 
tion until  nearly  three  o'clock,  when  we  struck  a  fresh 
moose-trail.  Here  began  the  most  excidng  chase  it  has 
ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  participate  in,  one  in  which 
our  party  saw  not  less  than  twenty  moose,  fired  probably 
thirty  shots,  killed  two  red  deer,  but  absolutely  failed  with 
the  larger  game.  The  following  of  the  moose-trail,  which 
we  first  discovered  this  afternoon,  led  us  w*  nin  twenty 
minutes  into  a  large  moose-yard,  where  the  tracks  of  these 


1 
I 

-'ft 

I 


il 


I  I II 


ill 


%i\i 


'H^- 


198 


r/r/^  sroRTSAfAN's  paradise; 


animals  were  as  numerous  as  the  tracks  of  cows  about  a 
large  dairy-barn  soon  after  the  first  fall  of  snow  in  autumn. 
Here  was  probably  about  one  acre  of  this  forest  which 
had  been  so  thoroughly  tracked  over  within  an  hour  that 
it  was  wholly  impossible  to  follow  out  the  trail  of  any  par- 
ticular animal,  on  account  of  the  numerous  intersections 
and  obliterations  caused  by  the  wanderings  of  this  nu- 
merous herd. 

Slowly,  cautiously,  and  stealthily  the  captain  moves 
over  this  yard.  He  discovers  every  bush  which  has  been 
cropped,  every  tree  that  has  been  peeled,  and  does  not 
even  neglect  to  examine  the  evacuations:  these  he  finds  are 
still  warm,  George  Ross  and  myself  follow  closely  behind 
the  captain.  Our  anticipations  are  now  of  the  most  de- 
lightful sort ;  the  gods  are  favoring  us ;  the  storm  ceased 
just  before  we  discovered  the  moose-trail,  and  now  the 
conditions  are  most  favorable  for  the  chase.  Nature  has 
provided  a  carpet  which  deadens  the  sounds  that  would 
otherwise  be  made  by  our  foot- falls  ;  the  same  covering 
leaves  the  impress  made  by  the  animals'  feet,  while  the 
clouded  sky  enables  us  to  behold  objects  equally  well  in 
any  direction.  We  had  now  reached  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  yard  a  point  where  seven  tracks  diverged  from  the 
common  centre,  and  this  trail  we  had  followed  only  a  short 
distance  when  the  captain  turned  to  me,  whispered  in  my 
ear,  "  These  moose  have  been  here  within  thirty  minutes ; 
follow  me  slowly ;  make  no  noise !"  I  was  momentarily 
puzzled  by  the  positive  assertion  of  my  guide. 

How  could  he  so  positively  say,  "These  moose  have 
been  here  within  half  an  hour?"     A  glance  at  the  tracks 


9f 


OR,   TltE   LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


199 


afforded  the  explanation.  These  imprints  did  not  contain 
a  single  flake  of  snow ;  and  then'fore  it  is  evident  that 
they  have  been  made  since  the  storm  ceased.  The  captain 
now  asked  me  to  keep  close  to  him,  in  order  that  I  mij^ht 
be  in  a  position  to  fire  on  the  game  the  instant  it  was 
discovered.  This  request  '/as  cheerfully  granted.  The 
movements  of  the  captain  now  became  still  more  cautious, 
while  George  Ross  and  myself  followed  the  exauiple  of 
our  leader.  Slmvly  and  cautiously  wj  moved  forward. 
Every  object,  whether  near  or  distant,  if  luithin  the  limit  of 
our  vision,  was  carefully  scanned.  Twenty  minutes  have 
elapsed  since  we  discovered  that  this  trail  had  been  made 
after  the  storm  ceased.  At  this  instant  the  captain's  right 
hand  is  raised.  //  is  a  signal  for  these  who  follow  him  to 
halt  and  remain  silent.  It  is  obeyed  with  alacrity.  The 
captain  peers  steadily  for  a  few  seconds  into  the  forest. 
I  was  standing  only  a  few  feet  behind  him.  He  beckoned 
me,  with  a  slight  movement  of  his  hand,  to  come  to  his 
side.  The  request  was  promptly  obeyed.  At  this  instant 
I  photographed  the  expression  of  his  face,  which  still  re- 
mains indelibly  impressed  on  my  mind.  His  eyes  were 
fixed  and  glared  intently  on  the  game  which  he  had  just 
discovered.  His  lips  were  tightly  closed,  his  teeth  com- 
pletely hidden.  The  muscles  of  his  face  were  rigidly  fixed, 
exhibiting  the  most  intense  excitement  and  resolute  determi- 
nation. His  body  was  as  immovable  as  a  statue.  Ke  noio 
sharply  whispered,  "  Don't  you  see  them  ?  There  I  there  !  they 
are  running  I  Fire,  fire  at  them  !"  I  had  not  been  able 
to  get  a  glimpse  of  the  he.  J,  although  they  were  standing 
huddled  together  not  more  than  one  hundred  yards  from 


II 


mn 


(•     : 


fiJ'':li 


i! 


:(    1' 


fill 

i  fil:: 


■? 


ll 


I      ■      .!' 


20O 


77/5  SPOJ^TSMAN'S  PARADISE. 


me,  until  they  began  to  move  ;  and  then  it  was  only  a  few 
seconds  until  their  bodies  seemed  like  shadows  flying 
tlirough  the  woods,  on  account  of  the  rapidity  of  their 
movement?.  The  fact  that  the  captain  was  the  best  rifle- 
shot in  our  party  had  been  already  conceded.  We  all 
locognized  his  ability,  including  both  the  accuracy  and 
rapidity  with  which  his  shots  were  delivered.  Neither  was 
he  ignorant  of  his  prowess,  or  in  the  least  averse  to  chaffing 
those  who  might  not  possess  his  skill ;  consequendy  I  had 
determined,  prior  to  our  departure  from  our  camp,  near 
Sugar  Bush  I-ake,  that  I  would  give  him  the  doubtful  shots 
an  '  take  the  more  certain  ones.  The  reader  should  now 
remember  that  the  captain  is  not  provided  with  a  rifle ;  but 
I  now  acted  promptly  on  my  conservative  resolution  and 
quickly  passed  him  my  Ballard  rifle,  saying,  "Take  the 
shot !  Fire  away  !"  He  seized  the  gun  and  instantly  fired. 
Another  cartridge  is  placed  in  position  and  quickly  dis- 
charged at  the  retreating  herd.  The  Ballard  is  dropped 
to  the  ground  and  the  captain  shouted  to  his  nephew, 
"Give  me  your  Winchester!"  This  request  was  promptly 
complied  with ;  the  captain  was  now  in  the  possession  of 
the  desired  rifle  with  a  full  magazine,  and  instantly  started 
on  a  full  run  after  the  game.  Behold  his  rapid  strides! 
The  best  Indian  runner  would  have  been  distanced  by  him 
in  this  chase.  George  has  caught  up  my  rifle ;  we  both 
follow  at  our  best  speed ;  he  leads  us  from  the  start  and 
gains  on  us  rapidly;  bang!  bang!  goes  the  captain's  rifle 
while  he  is  still  running.  He  had  run  about  eight  hundred 
yards,  when  he  suddenly  stopped,  raised  his  gun,  and  de- 
liberately   took    aim,    firing   four    shots    during    this    halt. 


ill 


T!ie  woods  are  full  of  them. 


ff->^^ 


ii 


,'\ 


I* 


; 


^^,.pi 


H 


"il-.': 


i 


'  I 

fl    ' 

il/i 


I 


I 


'■!  II' 


m 


'm 


202 


TIf£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


George  Ross  and  myself  arrived  on  the  spot  while  the 
sound  of  the  last  was  reverberating  through  the  foreLt.  We 
saw  at  this  instant  a  bull  moose,  which  had  been  standing 
about  one  hundred  yards  from  our  leader,  start  forward  on 
a  run.  This  bull  had  evidently  belonged  to  the  first  xierd 
that  we  discovered ;  had  been  prompted  by  curiosity  to 
halt  in  order  to  get  a  better  view  of  his  pursuers ;  had 
already  received  the  polite  attention  of  the  captain,  but 
now  triumphantly  moved  off.  The  captain  was  certainly 
greatly  excited  and  greatly  disgusted,  probably  because 
the  old  bull  paid  so  little  attention  to  the  demand  which 
he  had  made  upon  him  to  halt;  but  not  a  full  minute 
elapsed  after  the  cessation  of  this  firing  when  another 
herd  of  these  animals,  which  we  had  not  previously  seen, 
started  up  about  three  hundred  yards  to  the  right  of  the 
trail  made  by  the  herd  that  we  had  been  following,  al- 
though the  latter  were,  at  the  moment  of  their  start, 
slightly  in  the  rear  of  the  spot  where  we  were  standing. 
Another  race  now  ensued,  which  was  no  less  exciting 
than  the  former.  The  instant  that  the  captain  heard  the 
sounds  they  made  wh'le  rushing  through  the  woods,  lie  in- 
stantly dropped  his  pack,  which  he  had  carried  during  th(> 
whole  of  the  first  race,  and  was  off  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  The  course  taken  by  these  animals  led  us  down  the 
gentle  slope  of  a  long  hill ;  consequently  I  was  enabled 
to  keep  nearer  to  our  leader,  although  still  falling  con» 
siderably  in  his  rear. 

At  the  base  of  the  slope  there  was  found  a  snail  brook, 
which  the  captain  crossed  in  this  race.  Having  crossed 
the  stream,  the  captain  threw  up  his  hand  as  a  signal  for 


msBmgm 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


203 


me  to  approach  him  more  cautiously,  and  quickly  com- 
menced firing  again.  He  discharged  his  rifle  four  times 
in  rapid  succession,  from  this  point,  at  a  full-grown  cow 
that  was  standing  not  more  than  seventy-five  yards  from 
him,  although  partially  hidden  from  his  view  by  an  inter- 
vening evergreen.  This  animal  now,  in  entire  disregard 
of  these  polite  attentions,  started  off  on  a  shambling  trot, 
and  was  followed  by  George  Ross,  who  continued  to  blaze 
away  at  varying  intervals  during  a  chase  which  was  kept 
up  for  nearly  a  mile,  when  it  bet^ame  apparent  to  the  pur- 
suer that  the  old  cow  was  getting  the  best  of  the  race. 
When  this  animal  passed  beyond  the  reach  of  the  captain's 
bullets,  it  is  putting  it  very  mildly  to  say  that  he  was  dis- 
gusted with  the  results.  This  feeling  of  disgust  was  visible 
in  all  his  movements,  as  well  as  in  his  facial  expressions. 
Words  were  not  adequate  to  express  his  feelings.  Having 
remained  silent  a  few  minutes,  he  suggested  that  we  pro- 
ceed to  the  spot  where  the  cov/  was  standing  when  he 
fired  the  shots,  and  make  an  examination  of  the  surround- 
ings. This  was  now  done,  but  only  increased  his  feelings 
of  disgust;  inasmuch  as  we  failed  to  find  the  slln^htest 
trace  of  injury  to  the  animal,  not  even  a  single  drop  of 
blood  or  a  lock  of  hair,  on  the  newly-fallen  snow,  although 
there  was  the  unmistakable  impress  of  the  i^nimal's  feet 
in  it.  In  this  examination  only  a  single  point  was  settled 
in  the  affirmative,  to  our  mutual  satisfaction,  viz.,  the  cap- 
tain had  undoubtedly  been  firing  at  a  living  moose,  a.id 
not  at  an  apparition,  which  might  have  been  conjured  up 
in  certain  brains.  Let  the  reader,  however,  here  unde*-- 
stand   that   the  captain  is  not  a  sportsman  against  whom 


•ii- 


1^ 


J     . 
f     ' 


IM 


w^. 


I 


< 


304 


TITE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


I'i     ' 
I  ^     I 


I'll 


I 

''     '  ii 
if.  I     ! 


i'li 


r 


such  a  charge  could  be  well  maintained.  His  habits  are 
above  reproach  ;  he  neither  drinks  nor  smokes,  and  in  all 
things  is  a  plain  matter-of-fact  person,  not  e'  zn  given  to 
fiction  nor  any  sort  of  exaggeration.  Having  completed 
the  examination  of  this  spot,  we  turned  slowly  away  from 
it  and  walked  side  by  side,  possibly  about  ten  rods,  when 
the  captain  discovered  a  fine  buck  that  had  been  feeding 
within  fifty  yards  of  us.  I  saw  this  beautiful  animal  a  few 
seconds  later  than  my  guide. 

The  captain  said,  "Let  me  now  try  my  skill  on  this 
deer  since  I  have  failed  on  the  moose."  The  rifle  was 
then  raised ;  the  captain  took  an  unusually  long  time  in 
taking  aim,  but  the  gun  was  finally  discharged ;  the  buck 
sprang  high  into  the  air,  and  all  was  quiet  once  more. 

The  captain  quickly  remarked,  "  I  killed  that  deer,  al- 
though I  have  so  surprisingly  failed  to-day  with  the 
moose."  There  had  been  considerable  delay  after  the 
shooting.  Our  conversation,  in  the  mean  while,  had  not 
related  to  this  buck ;  in  fact,  neither  of  us  thought  much 
of  this  affair,  but  we  naturally  conversed  on  the  more  ex- 
citing chase  of  the  moose ;  consequently,  w'len  we  went 
in  search  of  the  carcass,  it  was  not  until  after  much  delay 
that  we  could  find  even  the  spot  where  the  animal  stood 
when  the  shot  was  fired.  Having  at  first  been  baffled  in 
our  search,  we  returned  to  the  spot  where  we  were  stand- 
ing when  the  shot  was  delivered,  took  our  directions  from 
this  point,  then  found  the  animal's  tracks  in  the  snow,  but 
were  Still  unable  to  find  his  body ;  however,  when  we 
circled  around  these  imprints,  we  found  the  object  of  our 
search  within  twenty  feet  of    the  point  where  he  had  re- 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


205 


ceived  his  death  wound.  He  had  made  but  a  single  leap 
and  fallen  dead.  The  deer  was  promptly  skinned,  and  a 
choice  piece  selected  for  our  present  wants,  after  which  the 
balance  of  the  carcass  was  left  behind  for  the  use  of  the 
wolves.  We  now  retraced  our  steps  to  the  point  where 
the  captain  had  dropped  his  pack,  when  he  started  on  the 
second  moose  chase.  Here  George  Ross  joined  us  and 
reported  in  glowing  terms  the  incidents  of  his  race,  and 
the  various  causes  of  its  failure.  He  regrett^jd  that  his 
feet  were  not  encased  in  moccasins  instead  of  the  heav^y 
boots  that  he  was  then  wearing,  and  assured  us  with  much 
confidence  that,  had  he  been  thus  attired,  he  should  cer- 
tainly have  provided  himself  with  a  hairy  overcoat,  which 
the  old  cow  would  now  probably  continue  to  wear,  instead 
of  himself,  during  the  coming  winter. 

This  young  man  talked  wildly  about  the  overcoat  which 
he  had  barely  failed  to  secure,  and  romanced  nearly  every 
day  on  this  subject  as  long  as  he  remained  in  the  woods 
with  us.  The  storm  now  recommenced, — snow  falling  once 
more, — night  was  approaching;  the  lean-to  must  be  put 
up,  wood  and  boughs  gathered,  and  our  frugal  meal  pre- 
pared. The  captain  desired  to  take  one  more  look  for 
game  before  darkness  covered  the  earth.  He  was  not 
satisfied  with  the  results  of  his  shooting  during  the  after- 
noon. He  wished  to  make  an  effort  immediately,  to  re- 
deem his  good  name ;  consequently,  after  having  urged 
George  and  your  humble  servant  to  make  the  necessary 
preparation  for  the  night,  he  sallied  forth  once  more  in 
quest  of  moose. 

He  had  not  expressed,  either  to  George  or  myself,  his 


'''f 


(•  ,M  i 


lllt(l 


m 


206 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


wishes  on  this  subject,  but  his  manner  indicated  plainly  the 
thoughts  which  were  uppermost, — even  the  desires  of  his 
heart.  Both  George  and  myself  set  about  the  performance 
of  the  task  that  had  been  assigned  to  us.  This  labor  was 
agreeable, — better  far  than  standing  still  in  the  wild  storm 
and  allowing  ourselves  to  be  buried  beneath  the  falling 
snow. 

One  hour  of  brisk  activity  found  us  prepared  for  the 
evening  meal  and  awaiting  the  captain's  return.  The 
twilight  of  the  evening  had  gathered  around  us,  when  we 
heard  the  captain's  rifle  discharged  twice, — the  second  shot 
following  the  first  so  quickly  that  George  had  been  unable 
to  complete  the  exclamation,  "  He  is  after  them  again," 
before  he  was  interrupted  by  the  second  sound.  The 
question  now  raised  by  George  was,  "  What  has  the  cap- 
tain killed  ?"  It  was  thought  probable  that  the  firing  had 
been  occasioned  by  the  discovery  of  a  moose,  since  these 
animals  were  certainly  more  numerous  on  this  ground  than 
the  red  deer ;  but  it  was  not  by  any  means  certain  that  the 
captain  had  killed  one  of  the  kings  of  the  forest. 

It  was  nearly  half  an  hour  after  these  shots  were  heard 
when  the  captain  returned  to  our  camp-fire.  His  face  was 
livid  with  rage  and  he  stormed  like  a  sailor,  but  no  words 
of  profanity  passed  his  lips.  Neither  George  nor  myself 
ventured  to  attempt  any  sort  of  conversation  with  him,  and 
he  ratded  on  wildly, — "  I  will  never  hunt  moose  again  !  If 
these  guns  were  my  property  I  would  break  them  over  the 
nearest  tree  and  start  for  home  to-morrow  morning !"  On, 
still  on,  he  went!  After  the  storm  had  raged  in  all  its 
fury  for  half  an  hour  he  cooled  off  slightly,  and  then  nar- 


1^ 


l^ 


on,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


207 


rated  to  us  occurrences  which  had  taken  place  after  his 
separation  from  us.  He  said,  "  I  discovered,  very  soon 
after  leaving  you,  another  herd  of  moose,  in  which  there 
were  two  large  bulls ;  succeeded  in  getting  within  fifty 
yards  of  one  of  these  animals,  which  was  standing  with  his 
head  towards  me ;  no  other  part  of  his  body  being  visible 
at  this  time.  I  was  unwilling  to  fire  at  the  forehead  lest 
the  ball  should  glance  from  the  bone  without  doing  any 
signal  service.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  wait  a  more 
favorable  opportunity  when  the  game  moved  from  its  pres- 
ent cover, — hoping  he  would  then  present  for  my  shot  a 
more  vulnerable  part  of  his  body.  I  had  not  long  to  wait 
when  the  movement  was  made ;  but,  to  my  great  disgust, 
the  moose  so  turned  as  to  become  immediately  and  en- 
tirely invisible  to  me,  and  I  could  not  again  secure  a 
glimpse  of  this  fleeing  animal ;  in  the  mean  while,  all  the 
other  members  of  this  herd  had  made  their  escape."  The 
captain  here  added,  "  Was  not  this  luck  enough  to  make 
a  saint  swear?"  The  interrogatory  which  immediately 
followed  was,  "What  did  you  shoot  at?"  *' I  had  started 
to  come  in  when  an  old  buck  jumped  up  before  me.  I 
fired  at  him ;  the  first  shot  broke  his  leg,  and  the  second 
brought  him  to  a  full  halt.  It  was  then  nearly  dark  and 
1  did  not  stop  to  skin  him,  but  will  attend  to  that  in  the 
morning." 

Thus  ended  the  day's  chase,  and  as  supper  was  now 
ready,  we  proceeded  to  refresh  ourselves  as  the  next  order 
of  business.  The  performance  of  this  labor  produced  a 
most  salutary  effect  on  our  worthy  captain.  The  angry 
expression  I  had  observed  on  his  face  immediately  after 


1 1   ' 


w^^m 


208 


r//E  SPORXr.MAN'S  PARADISE,' 


at 


his  return  to  our  camp-fire  had  now  been  replaced  with  a 
pleasant  smile.  The  terrible  blizzard  had  passed  away, 
and  instead  of  the  raging  storm  we  now  had  sunshine. 
It  v/as  now  perfectly  safe  to  chaff  the  captain  on  his  want 
of  success, — a  pastime  that  he  greatly  enjoyed,  when  it 
was  done  at  some  other  person's  expense, — and  it  should, 
likewise,  be  acknowledged  that  he  had  always  previously 
patiently  submitted  to  this  treatment  when  we  were  so 
fortunate  as  to  have  an  opportunity  to  make  the  applica- 
tion. Such  an  excellent  opportunity  to  cancel  the  old 
score  had  never  before  offered  since  I  had  been  in  our 
leader's  company. 

I  now  ventured  to  suggest  to  the  captain  that  he  was  a 
dead  shot  whenever  he  drew  a  bead  on  a  bird  or  deer, 
but  he  was  not  so  sure  of  his  game  when  he  sought  to  kill 
a  moose.  The  captain  willingly  admitted  that  the  results 
of  the  chase  during  the  day  seemed  to  justify  my  conclu- 
sion ;  and  furthermore  assured  me  that  he  would  do  no 
more  moose-shooting  while  h(  was  accompanied  by  George 
Ross  and  myself,  but  leave  that  part  of  the  sport  to  us. 

The  evening  was  spent  pleasantly  under  our  lean-to, 
while  a  grand  wood  fire  burned  in  front  of  it,  although  the 
snow  continued  to  fall  and  was  driven  by  the  wind  into 
every  part  of  our  imperfect  shelter.  We  passed  the  night 
comfortably, — slept  soundly,  were  thoroughly  refreshed, 
and  made  ready  for  work  the  next  morning.  The  earliest 
dawn  of  day  found  us  busied  with  the  preparation  of  the 
morning  meal.  The  ground  was  now  covered  with  snow 
to  the  depth  of  nearly  five  inches,  although  the  prevail- 
ing  wind    had    kept   it    from   collecting    upon    the   trees. 


OR,   THE  LAKE   LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


209 


We  have  determined  to  spend  the  morning  in  search 
of  moose  in  the  vicinity  where  we  discovered  them  yes- 
terday. The  captain  thinks  it  probable  that  there  may 
still  be  some  herds  which  have  remained  undisturbed  on 
these  feeding-grounds.  The  whole  forenoon  was  spent 
without  sighting  the  object  which  we  sought.  It  was 
sjc«rcely  light  this  morning  when  we  started  from  our 
camp.  The  captain  led  us  prompdy  to  the  spot  where 
he  had  shot  the  old  buck  on  the  previous  evening.  We 
found  him  buried  beneath  the  snow,  and  quickly  removed 
his  skin,  which  was  added  to  the  captain's  pack.  We  then 
proceeded  to  search  diligently  for  moose, — found  a  single 
trail, — followed  it  about  two  miles,  having  started  him  from 
his  bed  during  the  tramp ;  but,  inasmuch  as  the  wind  wai^ 
unfavorable,  he  scented  us  from  afar  and  was  off  without 
affording  us  even  a  momentary  glance  at  his  lordship's 
person.  The  storm  had  ceased  before  we  left  the  camp 
this  morning,  although  it  was  still  cloudy,  but  the  sun  came 
out  towards  noon  without  producing  any  visible  effect  upon 
the  snow,  since  it  was  yet  cold.  We  returned  to  the  camp 
where  we  had  spent  the  previous  night  soon  after  twelve 
o'clock,  prepared  our  dinner;  discovered  that  our  bread 
and  coffee  were  exhausted,  and  therefore  decided  to  start 
immediately  for  our  camp  near  Sugar-Bush  Lake.  The 
captain  thought  we  might  succeed  in  reaching  this  point 
some  time  during  the  forenoon  of  the  next  day.  It  was 
with  feelings  of  despondency  that  we  moved  away  from 
the  scenes  of  our  recent  chase,  that  had  afforded  us  much 
pleasurable  excitement,  although  we  had  failed  to  secure 
the  coveted  prize. 

14 


jp 


'■\ 


m 


Ml 


2IO 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


CHAPTER   XI. 


The  Discovery  of  Moose — The  Killixo  of  two  Moosk  and  the  Wounding 
OF  Another — Our  Camp  on  Moose  Hill — The  Return  to  Sugar-Bush 
Lake — A  vSevere  Rain  Storm— Return  to  Moose  Hill— The  Dead  Moosb 
Photographed— Another  Expedition — The  Bear — A  Snow-Storm — A 
Hard  Tramp. 


T  was  now  thought  impossible 
that  we  should  find  another  op- 
portunity to  engage  in  a  moose- 
chase  during  this  reconnois- 
sance,  and  consequently  we 
began  to  look  about  us  for 
smaller  game.  We  arrived  at 
Trout  Lake  about  half-past  two  o'clock  ;  discovered  a  flock 
of  ducks ;  fired  several  shots  at  them,  and  then  started  to 
walk  around  this  body  of  water,  which  was  surrounded  by 
a  cranberry  marsh,  but  had  proceeded  only  a  few  rods  when 
the  captain,  who  was  in  advance,  discovered  a  fresh  moose- 
track.  It  was  finally  determined,  after  a  brief  consultation, 
to  follow  this  trail  a  short  distance,  in  order  to  determine 
the  prospect  of  success,  while  our  further  movements 
would  depend  entirely  on  the  result  of  this  investigation. 
Consequently  the  captain  threw  down  his  pack  and  took 
the  lead  in  this  movement.  The  trail  led  directly  from  the 
lake  into  a  cedar  swamp  which  bordered  on  the  cranberry 
marsh.     This  swamp  was  filled  with  fallen  trees,  a  dense 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


211 


underbrush,  and  stagnant  pools  of  water.  We  had  not 
followed  the  trail  more  than  twenty  rods  when  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  old  bull  moose  had  been  joined  by  two 
cows,  and  the  trio  had  been  very  recently  feeding  in  the 
swamp.  The  captain  was  much  elated  by  this  discovery, 
and  confidently  expressed  the  opinion  that  these  animals 
would  be  discovered  lying  down  near  the  spot  where  the 
browsing  had  taken  place.  Our  leader  was  in  high  spirits ; 
rapidly  and  noiselessly  passed  over  all  obstructions  ;  sighted 
and  carefully  examined  every  object  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  trail  which  we  were  following. 

He  soon  emerged  from  the  swamp  and  commenced  the 
ascent  of  a  hill  where  there  were  fewer  obstructions  to  our 
progress,  but  prior  to  his  reaching  this  point  the  author 
of  these  pages  had  fallen  about  six  or  seven  rods  to  the 
rear  of  i\\i  leader,  although  George  Ross  had  succeeded 
in  keeping  somewhat  nearer. 

The  captain's  advance  is  now  much  more  cautious ;  he 
evidently  expects  to  find  the  moose  on  this  high  ground. 
He  takes  a  few  steps  forward,  then  halts,  carefully  surveys 
every  object  within  the  range  of  his  vision,  and  has  thus 
approached  within  about  seventy-five  or  eighty  yards  of 
the  summit  of  the  hill  which  we  are  climbing.  He  has 
suddenly  halted  again,  and  at  the  same  instant  thrown  out 
his  right  hand  as  a  signal  to  his  followers  to  be  more  cau- 
tious in  their  movements.  George  Ross  has  cautiously 
moved  forward  to  his  side ;  but  the  gaze  of  our  leader  has 
remained  steadily  fixed  on  some  object  in  the  immediate 
front.  He  stands  as  immovable  as  the  trunks  of  the  great 
forest-trees  with  which  we  are  surrounded.     Behold  him  I 


i4(  i: 


312 


THE  SPORTS  MAN' 5:  PARADISE. 


v^i 


ii?. 


he  is  nmv  ivhispering  to  his  nepheiv  !  I  know  he  hxs  sighted 
game.  A  moment  later  he  beckoned  to  me  to  come  fonoard ; 
repeats  this  signal  tivo  or  three  times  before  I  reached  his 
side.  In  the  mean  time  young  Ross  has  raised  his  rijie  and 
stands  ivith  it  raised  in  readiness  for  instantaneous  action. 
I  reached  the  captain's  side;  he  seized  my  arm  and  drew 
me  about  ten  feet  to  the  left  of  George  Ross ;  had  not  yet 
spoken  a  word ;  but  now  whispered,  "  See  that  moose 
standing  behind  the  underbrush?  Fire  at  him!"  Before 
I  had  time  to  raise  my  ritle  (ieorge  Ross  had  fired  his  first 
shot.  The  object  which  had  been  pointed  out  to  me  by  the 
captain  as  a  moose  was  almost  completely  hidden  by  the 
underbrush,  only  a  small  portion  of  the  animal's  flank 
being  visible.  The  aim  was  taktn  at  this  part;  the  shot 
was  fired ;  the  animal  now  quickly  changed  his  position 
and  presented  to  me  his  rump.  The  captain  was  standing 
at  my  side ;  the  instant  the  first  shot  was  fired  he  shoved 
another  cartridge  into  my  rifle ;  I  dropped  quickly  on  my 
knee,  took  very  deliberate  aim,  and  forwarded  my  com- 
pliments once  more.  The  animal  at  which  this  shot  was 
fired  now  disappearei  before  I  had  sufficient  time  to  reload 
my  rifle. 

I  now  ran  a  few  feet  to  the  right  of  George  Ross,  who 
had  remained  stationary  and  continued  to  shoot  rapidly. 
From  this  new  position  I  caught  sight  of  another  moose, 
and  fired  another  shot.  Game  was  no  longer  visible  from 
the  spot  where  we  were  standing,  and  consequently  we 
started  up  the  hill  at  our  best  speed.  A  few  seconds  later 
our  entire  party  was  standing  about  the  dead  cow,  on 
which  George  Ross  had  expended  his  fusillade.     She  had 


i'    n 


lor 


on 


ii; 


214 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE,- 


1  ii    ; 


never  moved  from  the  spot  where  she  was  standingr  when 
young  Ross  fired  his  first  shot;  when  unable  to  stand 
longer  she  fell  on  the,  opposite  side  of  a  log  and  was  thus 
lost  to  his  view.  The  captain  glanced  momentarily  at  the 
dead  animal,  raised  his  head  to  survey  the  surroundings, 
discovered  the  old  bull  which  I  had  mortally  wounded,  and 
instantly  exclaimed,  "See  the  old  monsier!"  This  was 
the  signal  for  a  new  start ;  our  party  rushed  forward  until 
we  were  within  about  twelve  feet  of  this  animal's  head, 
which  he  now  lowered,  and  at  the  same  time  uttered  a  low 
bellow  that  greatly  resembled  the  angry  threatenings  of 
an  enraged  bull.  The  captain  instantly  caught  hold  of  my 
arm,  as  if  to  keep  me  from  danger,  but  I  scarcely  think 
this  precaution  was  necessary,  since  I  had  already  observed 
the  angry  warnings  given  by  the  old  forest  king. 

The  captain  having  warned  me  of  the  danger,  now 
leaped  into  the  air,  danced  like  a  school-boy,  seized  me 
by  the  hand,  offered  his  congratulations,  while  his  face  was 
wreathed  in  joyous  smiles. 

The  scenes  enacted  here  reminded  me  of  those  which 
I  had  witnessed  many  years  ago  on  the  battle-fields  during 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  when  the  staid  generals  became 
boys  once  more  after  gaining  important  victories.  Well  do 
I  still  remember  the  many  manifestations  of  joy  which  fol- 
lowed Sheridan's  victory  at  Cedar  Creek,  Virginia.  Gen- 
erals Sheridan,  Custer,  Torbert,  and  many  other  gallant 
officers  in  the  Federal  army  were  boys  that  day,  when  they 
loarned  the  extent  of  their  victory.  It  is  hoped  that  the 
reader  will  pardon  this  wide  digression  from  our  subject 
and  return  with  me  to  the  summit  of  the  hill  in  that  grand 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS    OF  CANADA. 


215 


forest,  where  these  moose  were  slain,  since  a  careful  de- 
scription of  the  scenes  enacted  here  will  not  fail  to  interest 
any  sportsman. 

Already  the  shooting  has  been  described  which  occurred 
on  the  slope  of  this  hill  while  the  moose  were  standing  on 
its  summit;  and  there  remains  little  to  be  said  of  the  old 
cow,  since  life  was  extinct  before  we  reached  the  spot 
where  she  fell.  The  bull,  when  discovered,  was  about 
four  or  five  rods  distant  from  the  point  where  the  cow 
iiad  fallen.  He  was  at  this  moment  standing  on  his  fore- 
feet, dragging  his  hind  limbs  along  on  the  ground, 
endeavoring  occasionally  to  get  once  more  into  the  natural 
standing  position,  but  all  these  efforts  were  fruitless.  The 
poor  animal  had  been  paralyzed  by  the  ball  that  had  been 
fired  at  his  rump,  and  passed  upward,  wounding  the  spiral 
cord  in  the  lumbar  region.  The  appearance  of  the  old 
bull  was  not  only  pitiful  but  likewise  savage  at  this  mo- 
ment. He  was  so  severely  wounded  that  he  could  not 
escape  from  his  enemies,  or  even  make  that  defence  which 
his  gigantic  proportions  declared  him  fitted  for  under 
more  favorable  circumstances.  The  size  of  the  animal 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  found  to  meas- 
ure between  the  top  of  his  shoulders  and  the  bottom 
of  his  hoofs  seventy-eight  and  one-half  inches,  while  his 
symmetrical  antlers  showed  a  spread  of  nearly  six  feet. 
We  viewed  this  noble  beast  while  he  was  yet  alive ;  the 
hair  on  his  whole  body  was  standing  erect,  thus  naturally 
increasing  the  apparent  size  of  the  animal  and  like- 
wise giving  to  him  a  more  savage  aspect.  The  long, 
erect  hair,  covering  the  top  of  the  shoulders,  increased  the 


ill 


utMl 


m  !i 


fii 


» .^ii 


UJ' 


y  I  :  i 


T^1| 


2l6 


r^^  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


seeming  height  of  the  moose  at  least  six  or  eight  inches ; 
and  the  same  remark  is  equally  applicable,  except  in 
degree,  to  the  other  parts  of  the  body.  The  wild  boar, 
in  his  own  forest  garb,  could  not  present  a  more  frightful 
appearance  tlian  did  the  king  of  the  Canadian  wilderness 
at  this  moment.  It  is  true  that  this  bull  could  not  present 
the  same  formidable  tusks,  but  his  great  antlers  and  mag- 
nificent proportions  more  than  compensated  for  all  that 
was  wanting.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  he  wa~  so 
severely  wounded  as  to  be  able  to  make  but  vt-iy  i.tiie 
progress  in  his  efforts  to  escape,  still  our  party  remained 
at  a  very  respectful  distance  from  his  antlers.  Our  first 
attention  having  been  given  to  the  personal  appearance  of 
this  animal,  our  succeeding  thoughts  were  directed  to  the 
relief  of  his  sufferings,  and  for  this  purpose  I  sent  a  ball 
through  him  a  few  inches  behind  his  shoulders.  This  last 
shot  produced  no  marked  effect ;  therefore  I  quickly  fired 
another  shot  a  little  behind  the  base  of  his  skull,  which  frac- 
tured the  upper  portion  of  the  vertebral  column  and  like- 
wise wounded  the  medulla  oblongata,  which  injury  was 
followed  by  instantaneous  death.  The  captain  proceeded 
to  disembowel  the  animals  we  had  killed ;  and  while  thus 
enraged  discovered  '.hat  another  cow  had  been  wounded 
by  our  shots,  but  had  succeeded  in  getting  away.  His  quick 
eye  promptly  detected  three  fresh  beds  in  the  newly-fallen 
snow,  and  likewise  that  the  trail  from  two  of  them  led  to 
the  dead  animals,  which  were  now  lying  only  a  few  yards 
from  the  same,  while  the  other  led  away  from  the  scene  of 
action.  The  latter  trail  was  well  marked  by  the  blood- 
stains left  by  the  fleeing  animal.     It  was  instantly  decided 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


217 


that  we  should  follow  up  this  trail.  The  blood-stains  V 
were  numerous  about  the  bed  from  which  the  cow  # 
had  so  recently  risen,  and  the  white  snow  was  found  ^M, 
to  be  copiously  marked  during  the  first  half-mile  /Jy  M^ 
of  the  trail ;  but  after  this  distance  had  been  sy^W^ 
r-assed  over  these  markings  were  less  numer-  v%  1,',^ 
ous.  It  was  confidently  thought  by  our  guides,  "' ',  Vj^^i^ 
while  we  were  making  the  first  part  of  our  ^"^r^^" 
journey  along  this  trail,  that  we  would  soon 
find  her  lifeless  body;  but  we  continued  1'  W^ 
our  search  until  warned  by  the  near  ap- 
proach of  sunset  that  we  ought 
to    retrace    our    steps    and   make 


The  dead  monarch. 


n  \ 


N 
f 


2l8 


TIf£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


•ir 


the  required  preparation  for  the  night.  The  pack,  which 
the  captain  was  carrying  at  the  moment  when  he  discovered 
the  moose-track  near  Trout  Lake,  still  remained  where  he 
had  then  dropped  it.  It  was  with  some  regrets  that  we 
started  on  this  retrograde  movement,  since  we  still  thought 
that  another  hour  spent  in  the  search  would  probably  be  re- 
warded by  the  capture  of  the  wounded  animal.  Neverthe- 
less, we  were  greatly  cheered  by  the  results  that  had  already 
been  obtained,  and  we  now  retraced  our  steps  with  light 
hearts  and  speedy  action.  While  thus  retracing  our  steps 
we  were  naturally  led  to  take  a  retrospective  view  of  our 
doings  during  the  day.  In  the  morning  we  had  started 
from  our  camp  in  jjyful  anticipation  of  successes  just  about 
to  be  realized.  These  pleasant  anticipations  were  the  natu- 
ral outgrowth  of  the  discovery  of  several  herds  of  moose 
in  the  vicinity  of  our  camp  on  the  previous  day.  We  had 
set  forth  in  the  morning  in  full  expectation  that  before  noon 
we  should  be  able  to  kill  one  or  more  moose ;  at  one 
o'clock  we  had  returned  to  our  camp  sadly  disappointed  by 
a  complete  failure.  In  the  afternoon,  while  wearily  trudg- 
ing along  without  any  seemingly  reasonable  expectation  of 
discovering  the  prize  we  sought,  we  had  fortunately  struck 
the  single  trail,  which  being  followed,  soon  brought  us  to 
the  full  realization  of  our  most  joyous  anticipations.  Such 
are  the  results  obtained  in  our  various  pursuits  in  life  by 
industrious  and  persevering  labor,  which  in  the  end  brings 
its  reward,  although  the  prize  is  frequently  attained  when 
least  expected.  Dame  Nature  is  apparently  an  inveterate 
coquette,  who  must  be  industriously  and  perseveringly 
courted  for  a  long  time,  when  she  will  turn,  at  some  un- 


^4«Uil^i.»;tU»*J^|i.^;M^±^'.^^ML,L'L.  . 


i 
I: 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


219 


un- 


expected moment,  and  most  graciously  receive  our  caresses, 
thus  adding  surprise  to  conquest.  Before  sunset  we  reached 
the  scene  of  our  recent  shooting,  and  made  the  neces- 
sary preparation  for  the  night.  The  pack  was  promptly 
brought  to  the  spot,  the  lean-to  erected,  wood  and  balsam 
boughs  gathered,  after  which  the  moose-meat — which  con- 
stituted our  entire  meal — was  cooked. 

We  no  longer  had  either  bread,  tea,  or  coffee.  Thus 
the  sportsman  may  be  compelled  to  live,  but  what  is  the 
odds  so  long  as  you  are  happy  ?  This  was  certainly  the 
most  joyful  night  spent  by  us  during  the  whole  reconnois- 
sance.  We  had  already  accomplished  more  than  we  ex- 
pected when  we  left  our  camp  near  Sugar-Bush  Lake  ;  had 
not  only  determined  the  whereabouts  of  the  moose,  but 
had  actually  slain  two  fine  animals,  a  male  and  a  female. 

The  early  part  of  this  evening  was  spent  in  recounting 
the  exploits  of  the  day,  and  the  balance  of  the  night  in 
refreshing  slumber, — a  blessing  almost  unknown  to  the 
drudging  professional  slaves  of  the  city.  We  arose  early 
the  following  morning,  and  while  it  was  yet  dark  began 
our  preparations  for  the  return  to  the  old  camp.  The 
dead  moose  were  well  covered  with  brush,  in  order  that 
the  wild  animals  might  not  deface  them  before  the  photog- 
rapher had  completed  his  part  of  the  work.  The  moose- 
meat  was  prepared,  our  breakfast  eaten,  and  we  were 
again  off  on  our  homeward  tramp.  The  sun  soon  made 
its  appearance ;  the  weather  had  moderated,  and  all  now 
went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell.  The  partridge  were  found 
to-day  in  great  abundance  and  afforded  us  much  sport. 
We  were  no  longer  troubled  because  of  their  excessive 


ri:    ^: 


2  20 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


TTT 


Wi. 


politeness,  but  they  behaved  in  the  most  approved  manner, 
and  permitted  us  to  knoclc  off  their  heads  with  the  rifle- 
balls  without  uttering  the  slightest  murmur.  We  had 
bagged  before  noon  a  half-dozen  of  these  fine  game-birds. 
During  the  first  part  of  the  tramp  we  saw  only  a  single 
red  deer  and  very  few  traces  of  moose,  but  when  within 
about  three  miles  of  the  old  camp  moose-tracks  were  once 
more  found  to  be  quite  numerous ;  however,  we  now  spent 
no  time  in  search  of  these  animals.  We  reached  our  camp 
near  Sugar-Bush  Lake  about  one  o'clock,  October  26,  and 
the  captain  promptly  1  repared  our  dinner.  We  had  now 
reached  our  supplies ;  found  ourselves  in  possession  of  an 
abundance  of  flour,  coffee,  tea,  sugar,  etc.  Mr.  Milden- 
berger  was  absent  from  camp  when  we  arrived,  but  re- 
turned about  half-past  three  o'clock,  and  was  delighted  to 
find  us  in  possession  of  the  tent.  He  immediately  inquired 
in  regard  to  the  success  of  the  reconnoissance,  and  when 
informed  on  this  subject  was  greatly  pleased.  He  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  start  promptly  for  the  scene  of  the 
moose-hunt,  in  order  that  he  might  photograph  these 
animals  where  they  had  fallen.  It  was  now  so  late  in  the 
day  that  the  other  members  of  the  party  thought  better 
to  postpone  this  movement  until  a  later  period.  The 
captain  had  evidently  changed  his  mind  in  regard  to 
moose-hunting  during  the  last  forty-eight  hours,  since  he 
picked  up  the  Winchester  rifle  very  soon  after  our  dinner 
and  declared  his  intention  to  start  off  in  search  of  the  king 
of  the  forest.  He  was  absent  from  our  camp  about  three 
hours,  when  he  r«».turiied  and  reported  having  seen  one 
moose,  at  which  he  fired  a  shot  but  did  not  kill  the  animal. 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


221 


The  small  lakes  around  us  are  completely  frozen  over,  but 
the  weather  is  rapidly  moderating  this  afternoon.  The 
clouds  are  gathering  and  there  are  other  indications  of  a 
rain-storm.  The  following  day  found  us  confined  to  our 
tents  by  the  pouring  rain.  This  storm  continued  twenty- 
four  hours  and  the  snow  entirely  disappeared.  The  ad- 
vance movement  commenced  on  the  morning  of  the  28th 
of  October. 

This  change  of  base  is  made  with  the  intention  of 
bringing  our  luggage  into  a  more  favorable  position  for 
leaving  the  forest  after  the  closure  of  the  lakes  and  rivers 
with  ice.  Another  reason  prompting  this  action  at  the 
present  time  is  connected  with  the  fact  that  in  returning 
to  Moose  Hill,  where  we  killed  the  moose,  we  must  neces- 
sarily pass  Camp  Lake ;  and  therefore  we  have  concluded 
to  take  with  us  all  our  luggage  to  this  point,  where  we  will 
erect  our  tent,  store  such  articles  as  may  not  be  required 
for  the  balance  of  our  journey,  chain  the  dogs,  place  within 
their  easy  reach  so  much  food  as  may  be  required  for  their 
sustenance  during  our  absence,  and  then  proceed  to  the  end 
of  the  contemplated  journey,  make  the  desired  negatives, 
gather  up  the  trophies  and  bring  them  back  to  our  base, 
from  which  all  future  operations  will  be  conducted. 

The  rain-storm  ceased  during  the  preceding  night,  but 
the  morning  on  which  the  movement  began  was  cloudy. 
We  crossed  Sugar-Bush  Lake  this  morning  in  our  canoes, 
the  ice  having  mostly  disappeared  during  the  storm,  and 
arrived  about  noon  on  South  Lake,  where  we  prepared 
and  ate  our  dinner.  The  movement  was  resumed  and 
continued  during  the  entire  afternoon.      We  reached  at  a 


\    \\ 


223 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


rf!Fil 


'  '    ! 


la'te  hour  a  nameless  lake,  which  we  then  christened  Ross 
Lake,  in  honor  of  our  chief  guide.  The  night  was  spent 
under  a  lean-to,  there  now  being  four  occupants  instead 
of  three,  as  was  the  case  during  the  reconnoissance.  With 
the  appearance  of  daylight,  on  the  morning  of  October 
19,  we  were  again  moving  forward  on  the  portage.  We 
reached  Camp  Lake  about  twelve  o'clock,  put  everything  in 
order  there,  and  proceeded  onward  to  Moose  Hill,  where 
we  arrived  about  three  o'clock  the  same  day.  The  pho- 
tographer proceeded  immediately  to  make  the  desired 
negatives,  while  the  guides  were  busied  with  the  necessary 
preparation  for  the  night, — skinning  the  moose,  etc. 

It  had  been  our  intention  to  send  a  guide  to  the  nearest 
settler,  distant  from  this  spot  fourteen  miles,  in  order  that 
he  might  remove  the  meat  and  use  it  for  food ;  but  our 
intention  in  this  respect  was  frustrated  by  the  discovery 
that  it  was  already  tainted  by  commencing  decomposition. 

We  remained  overnight  at  Moose  Hill,  and  returned 
to  Camp  Lake  the  next  day,  where  we  arrived  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  having  brought  with  us  the 
trophies  of  the  last  hunt.  We  were  welcomed  to  this 
camp  by  a  canine  chorus,  in  which  the  voices  of  our  five 
dogs  were  joyously  commingled,  while,  at  the  moment  of 
our  approach,  they  leaped  gleefully  about  us,  and  added 
to  the  other  manifestations  of  joy  such  caresses  as  they 
were  allowed  to  bestow. 

In  acknowledgment  of  this  kindly  reception  they  were 
promptly  unchained  and  permitted  the  freedom  of  the 
camp.  These  dumb  animals  have  now  been  our  constant 
companions  for  several  weeks  in  this  grand  forest;  have 


iriiti 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


223 


shared  with  us  in  the  excitement  of  the  chase ;  have  aided 
us  in  securing  subsistence;  while  we  have  in  return  for 
these  services  most  willingly  shared  with  them  our  food. 
None  can  appreciate  the  companionship  and  assistance 
rendered  by  hunting-dogs  better  than  the  sportsmen  who 
have  cut  loose  from  their  base  of  supplies  and  sojourn  for 
weeks  in  the  forest  of  Canada.  Even  the  circumstances 
which  bound  together  the  unfortunate  "  Rip  Van  Winkle" 
and  his  dog  "  Snyder"  are  not  more  favorable  for  this 
development. 

The  day  following  our  return  to  Camp  Lake  was 
stormy;  the  falling  rain  kept  us  close  to  our  tent,  although 
we  attempted  a  deer-hunt  in  the  afternoon,  which  ended 
unsuccessfully,  inasmuch  as  one  of  our  dogs  rayed  away 
and  was  not  recovered  while  we  remained  in  this  forest ; 
neither  did  we  obtain  a  deer.  The  next  morning,  Novem- 
ber I,  the  captain  announced  that  a  deer  was  required  for 
our  larder,  and  requested  George  Ross  and  myself  to 
proceed  to  Cedar  Lake,  distant  from  our  camp  less  than 
one  mile,  taking  with  us  a  canoe,  in  order  that  we  might 
watch  on  this  body  of  water  while  he  would  endeavor  to 
start  our  remaining  deer-dog  at  such  a  point  as  to  drive 
the  game  to  us.  The  plan  thus  sketched  was  successfully 
carried  out,  and  before  noon  we  had  a  fine  buck  in  our 
camp.  Mr.  Mildenberger,  the  photographer,  has  tor  sev- 
eral weeks  assumed  the  responsibility  of  keeping  the  camp 
supplied  with  ruffed  grouse,  and  it  has  never  been  found 
necessary  to  give  him  any  aid  in  the  performance  of  this 
work,  although  the  other  members  of  our  party  sometimes 
add  to  the  supply  by  the  skilful  use  of  their  rifles.     Fish- 


H,l 


I'll 


224 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


t  i 


I  HI 


1-5  ■;.  'S, 


ing  has  already  been  abandoned  several  weeks.  Duck- 
shooting  is  not  very  remunerative,  owing  to  the  scarcity 
of  these  fowls  in  this  region,  although  the  photographer's 
skill  and  industry  have  been,  and  still  are,  occasionally 
rewarded  by  a  lucky  shot.  The  killing  of  the  red  deer 
has  been  intentionally  restricted,  since  we  came  into  the 
wilderness,  to  the  supply  of  our  wants,  although  those 
killed  while  engaged  in  the  reconnoissance  were  somewhat 
in  excess  of  this  demand.  The  whole  number  of  red  deer 
killed  by  us  now  foot  up  fourteen,  although  we  could  easily 
have  made  it  at  least  fifty.  One  important  object  of  this 
expedition  was  the  collection  of  specimens  of  natural  his- 
tory for  my  cabinet,  and  I  have  succeeded  very  satisfac- 
torily in  this  direction. 

During  the  afternoon  of  November  2  the  captain  and 
myself  returned  to  Moose  Hill,  while  George  Ross  and 
Mr.  Mildenberger  remained  in  the  camp  on  Camp  Lake. 
Since  our  recent  exciting  moose-hunt  I  am  no  longer  satis- 
fied with  the  humdrum  life  on  Camp  Lake ;  deer-hunting 
is  no  longer  a  novel  and  exciting  pastime  for  me.  I  am 
this  day  thirsting  for  new  fields ;  a  grand  moose-  or  bear- 
hunt;  some  excitement  that  will  stimulate  my  heart  to 
greater  action ;  something  that  will  supply  mental  food, 
will  add  a  zest  to  thought  and  an  additional  motive  for 
increased  physical  activity. 

We  reached  Moose  Hill  about  four  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon and  spent  another  night  under  a  lean-to.  The  early 
part  of  the  evening  was  passed  in  pleasant  conversation 
and  listening  to  the  crackling  of  our  hard-wood  fire,  which 
the  captain  says  forebodes  the  coming  of  a  snow-storm. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA, 


225 


The  captain's  prediction  was  fulfilled.  The  ground  was 
covered  this  morning  with  a  light,  tracking  snow,  and  still 
the  storm  continued.  We  started,  immediately  after  break- 
fast, in  search  of  moose.  The  storm  soon  ceased ;  the 
clouds  disappeared;  the  sun  shone  out  brighdy,  which 
caused  the  snow  on  the  trees  to  melt  rapidly.  The 
search  for  moose  was  a  failure,  but  we  did  succeed  in 
finding  an  old  bear's  path,  which  led  from  a  small  brook 
to  the  carcass  of  a  dead  moose,  which  we  concluded  had 
evidently  died  of  disease,  inasmuch  as  we  were  unable  to 
find  any  mark  of  injury  that  had  been  inflicted  by  the 
sportsman.  This  animal  had  probably  been  dead  about 
six  weeks,  and  was  greatly  emaciated  at  xhe  time  of  his 
death.  We  discovered,  by  our  examination,  that  one  knee- 
joint  had  been  extensively  diseased.  The  animal  had  evi- 
dently suffered  with  severe  suppurative  arthritis,  which  was 
complicated  by  a  necrosis  of  all  the  bones  entering  into  this 
joint.  The  anders  were  imperfecdy  developed  and  still 
covered  with  velvet.  This  carcass  was  found  about  six 
miles  distant  from  those  on  Moose  Hill.  The  indications 
favored  the  opinion  that  the  bear  had  been  feeding  on 
this  body  several  weeks,  since  the  path  was  well  worn  and 
much  of  the  carcass  had  already  been  consumed. 

Having  now  paid  our  respects  to  the  path  and  the  dead 
moose,  we  began  a  search  for  old  bruin,  who  was  soon 
started  from  a  thicket  near  his  food-supply ;  and  here  we 
discovered  his  fresh  tracks  in  the  newly-fallen  snow.  We 
now  started  on  this  trail,  which  was  easily  followed,  but 
soon  halted  and  held  a  consultation  in  regard  to  the  best 

method  of  procedure     We  had  left  Camp  Lake  with  rations 

15 


„l 


a36 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


■|,M 


til      i 


intended  to  supply  our  wants  for  only  twenty-four  hours. 
Should  we  now  attempt  to  trail  this  bear  to  his  den,  or 
return  to  our  camp  and  procure  an  additional  supply  of 
provisions  and  then  establish  a  watch  on  his  path  ?  The 
captain  reminded  me  of  the  fact  that  if  we  even  succeeded 
in  trailing  the  bear  to  his  den,  we  were  not  now  provided 
with  either  axe  or  spade  with  which  to  bring  him  from  his 
cover.  The  force  of  this  argument  was  fully  appreciated, 
and,  furthermore,  it  was  by  no  means  certain  that  old  bruin 
would  be  so  obliging  as  to  conduct  us  direct  to  his  resi- 
dence. In  many  instances  sportsmen  have  had  reason  to 
regret  this  hasty  conclusion, — viz.,  that  if  they  fo'  ed  old 
bruin's  trail  he  would  lead  them  to  his  home;  L^c  instead 
of  doing  this  he  has  conducted  them  a  score  of  miles  away 
from  it.  It  is  true  that  the  conditions  for  trailing  are  un- 
usually favorable  this  morning,  owing  to  the  presence  of 
the  fresh  snow,  which  faithfully  records  every  impression 
made  in  it.  The  real  question  is.  What  shall  we  do  under 
these  circumstances?  This  brings  up  for  consideration 
the  other  side  of  the  question.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  the  bear  has  been  started  from  his  cover  in  the 
thicket,  and  that  we  have  been  tramping  about  the  dead 
moose  and  along  bruin's  path.  Bruin  may  have  sighted 
us,  and  it  is  very  certain  that  he  has  already  scented  us. 
Therefore  it  may  be  very  properly  questioned  whether  or 
not  he  will  return  to  his  present  food-supply.  It  is  gener- 
ally believed  that  this  animal  is  not  easily  frightened  away 
from  his  food,  or  rather,  that  he  will  return  time  and  again 
after  he  has  been  driven  away  from  it,  especially  when 
the   supply  is   not  abundant.      Furthermore,  this  inclina- 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


227 


tion  to  come  back  to  his  food  seems  to  increase  with  every 
repetition  which  he  makes  for  this  purpose  until  the  siip- 
ply  is  exhausted.  It  then  seemed  entirely  reasonable  for 
us  to  presume  in  this  case  that  our  game  would  return  to 
his  old  haunts  under  the  promptings  of  hunger ;  inasmuch 
as  the  food-supply  in  this  region  was  extremely  limited  at 
this  time.  We,  therefore,  concluded  it  was  better  to  make 
no  further  effort  to  follow  bruin,  but  to  return  at  an  early 
day  and  establish  a  watch  on  his  pathway  leading  from  the 
brook  to  the  dead  moose. 

In  accordance  with  his  resolution  we  soon  started  on 
our  return  to  Camp  Lake,  where  we  arrived  before  night- 
fall;  found  Mr.  Mildenberger  and  George  Ross  seated  near 
the  camp-fire  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  their  freedom  from 
toil,  recalling  their  past  sports  and  contemplating  new 
pleasures  to  be  gleaned  from  the  chase  in  the  near  future. 
It  was  the  intention  of  the  captain  and  myself,  when  we 
reached  here  to-day,  to  provide  ourselves  with  food  enough 
to  last  four  or  five  days,  and  such  other  articles  as  might 
be  required  during  our  intended  sojourn  in  the  vicinity  of 
old  bruin's  food-supply,  and  return  to  the  spot  to-morrow 
morning ;  but  in  this  instance  it  was  not  many  hours  be- 
fore we  fully  appreciated  the  fact  that 


\\ 


"The  best  laid  schemes  o*  mice  an'  men 
Gang  aft  a-gley, 
An'  lea'e  us  nought  but  grief  and  pain 
For  promised  joy." 


It  was   observed  during  the  early  part  of  the  evening 
that  the  moon  shone  with  peculiar  brightness ;  but  before 


228 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


I    \\ 


w\ 


ill 


I 


i!' 


ten  o'clock  the  atmosphere  became  slightly  hazy,  and  we 
discovered  that  the  satellite  of  the  earth  was  encircled  by 
a  luminous  halo,  which  has  long  been  attributed  to  re- 
fraction and  reflection  of  the  rays  of  light  by  the  pres- 
ence of  minute  snow -crystals  in  the  upper  strata  of  the 
air.  The  existence  of  this  phenonenon,  therefore,  gave 
rise  to  no  small  degree  of  anxiety  on  my  part;  and  the 
feeling  of  despondency  was  momentarily  increased  by  the 
commencement  of  a  sevee  snow-storm  before  three 
o'clock  the  next  morning.  This  storm  continued  without 
abatement  for  thirty  hours,  and  during  this  period  there 
had  fallen  twenty  inches  of  snow.  The  severity  of  the 
storm  kept  us  confined  to  our  camp  throughout  the  entire 
day;  and,  consequently,  the  4th  of  November,  1884,  will 
long  be  remembered  by  us  for  other  reasons  than  the 
election  of  a  Democratic  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  question  uppermost  in  my  mind  during  this  gloomy 
period  was  that  involving  the  capture  of  the  bear.  The 
captain  expressed  the  firm  conviction  that  the  bear  would 
now  disappear  within  his  den,  and  remain  there  until  the 
ides  of  March  had  made  their  appearance.  This  was  very 
disagreeable  information  for  the  author,  and  he  sought  to 
controvert  the  opinion  thus  expressed  by  the  citation  of 
the  doubts  expressed  on  this  point  by  Frank  Forester 
and  other  authorities.  It  must,  however,  be  admitted  that 
this  self-imposed  task  was  found  to  be  very  difficult,  inas- 
much as  these  authorities  generally  acknowledge  that  old 
bruin  usually  dens  up  with  the  coming  of  the  first  heavy 
snow  in  autumn,  and  very  raieiy  leaves  his  winter  chamber 
until  the  approach  of  genial  spring.      The  author  will  be 


i  Ji 


OJi,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


229 


subsequently  pleased  to  inform  the  reader  in  regard  to  the 
behavior  of  this  particular  bear,  although  he  may  be  as- 
sured that  it  was  most  unsatisfactory. 

This  record  has  been  brought  down  to  the  5th  of  No- 
vember, which  finds  us  nearly  buried  beneath  the  snow, 
while  the  cold  wind  comes  to  us  this  morning  from  the 
northwest.  The  snow-storm  continues,  but  is  less  severe 
than  it  was  yesterday,  although  the  weather  is  colder.  The 
lakes  are  freezing  rapidly,  and  it  is  with  much  difficulty 
that  we  can  pass  our  canoes  through  the  ice  that  has 
already  formed,  and  it  is  very  evident  that  navigation  in 
this  regrion  will  be  closed  within  a  few  hours. 

The  captain  and  the  author  took  their  departure  from 
the  buried  tent  on  Camp  Lake  about  half-past  nine  o'clock 
this  morning.  The  sun  had  already  made  a  few  ineffectual 
attempts  to  send  forth  her  cheering  rays,  but  the  rapidly- 
moving  veil  of  clouds  which  covered  its  face  has  thus  far 
defeated  this  benign  effort.  The  wind  is  blowing ;  it  causes 
the  snow  to  fly  in  a  very  lively  style  from  the  evergreen- 
trees,  on  which  some  still  reposes ;  while  in  addition  to 
this,  there  are  numerous  attempts  to  renew  the  snow- 
storm. The  paddling  of  our  canoe  requires  the  united 
efforts  of  the  captain  and  myself,  since  it  is  necessary  that 
one  should  be  almost  constantly  breaking  the  ice  with  the 
paddle  while  the  other  pushes  :he  frail  bark  forward. 
Neither  was  our  progress  on  land  more  rapid  or  less 
laborious,  since  we  were  compelled  to  wallow  tlirough  the 
deep  snow,  which  also  served  to  cover  fallen  trees,  bushes, 
etc.,  while  these  in  turn  frequently  entrapped  our  feet  and 
plunged  us  headlong  into  this  cold  bed.      The  author  is. 


t-  H 


\%% 


■Sil 


Ml 


230 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


rather  reluctantly  compelled  to  admit,  at  this  late  date, 
that  he  received  much  more  than  his  share  of  these  rough 
tumbles,  inasmuch  as  the  captain's  superior  knowledge  of 
wood-craft,  as  well  as  his  greater  activity,  enabled  him  to 
avoid  many  of  these  undesirable  somersaults,  although 
the  most  disagreeable  feature  connected  with  them  was  the 
continued  sensation  so  closely  resembling  that  produced 
by  a  cold-water  bath.  The  snow  on  these  occasions  in- 
sinuated itself  into  my  ears,  around  my  neck  and  wrists, 
in  which  places  it  soon  melted,  and  then  as  water  was 
carried  to  every  part  of  my  body. 

The  author;  even  at  this  moment,  has  a  very  distinct 
recollection  that,  during  the  greater  part  of  that  mem- 
orable day,  his  hands  were  so  much  benumbed  with  cold 
that  it  was  found  very  difficult  to  handle  either  the  paddle 
or  rifle.  Fortunately,  however,  for  his  present  happiness, 
he  was  able  even  then  to  look  forward  to  a  more  favorable 
state  of  existence,  apparent  in  the  near  future,  in  which 
all  these  efforts  would  be  rewarded  by  new  sports  and 
more  favorable  conditions. 

We  reached  our  lean-to  on  Moose  Hill  about  one 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  which  we  had  left  standing  when 
we  visited  this  spot.  It  was  now  almost  buried  beneath 
the  snow,  while  its  interior  was  nearly  filled  with  the  same 
material,  which  had  been  carried  there  by  the  driving  wind. 
When  we  left  here  on  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  No- 
vember the  captain  had  hung  up  a  large  piece  of  venison 
on  a  tree,  in  order  that  it  might  be  beyond  the  reach  of 
wolves,  foxes,  and  other  meat-eating  animals ;  he  had  also 
placed  some  bread  beneath  the  cover  of  our  lean-to,  and, 


•I  (i 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


231 


therefore,  it  was  not  deemed  necessary  to  bring  with  us 
any  venison  this  morning  when  we  left  Camp  Lake.  Here 
we  were  again  disappointed.  During  our  absence  the 
ravens  had  taken  possession  of  the  venison  and  caused 
it  to  disappear,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  there  was  an 
abundance  of  moose-meat  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  We 
also  relied  on  the  bread  which  we  had  placed  beneath  our 
blankets,  but  only  for  our  dinner;  this  was  frozen,  and, 
although  we  had  brought  flour  with  us,  we  could  not  tarry 
long  enough  here  to  bake  bread.  Our  dinner,  therefore, 
consisted  of  a  cup  of  hot  tea  and  some  frozen  cramper.' 
We  are  not,  however,  discouraged,  since  we  are  in  pos- 
session of  our  rifles  and  an  abundance  of  ammunition. 
Consequently  we  can  very  soon  supply  meat.  Having 
completed  our  frugal  meal,  we  promptly  started  for  our 
destination.  The  immediate  objective-point  was  Trout 
Lake,  which  was  reached  in  due  time,  and  here  we  entered 
once  more  our  canoe.  The  paddling  of  this  craft  was  even 
more  difficult  now  than  it  was  in  the  morning,  since  the  ice 
was  constantly  becoming  thicker.  So  great  was  the  effort 
to  propel  the  canoe  that  it  caused  the  captain  and  myself 
to  perspire  freely.  This  was,  however,  a  very  pleasant 
change  from  walking  in  the  woods  while  the  cold  water 
was  coursing  down  our  backs.  There  were  still  a  few 
places  in  the  lake  where  ducks  could  succeed  in  finding  a 
small  open  space,  and  in  one  of  these  open  spots  we  dis- 
covered a  flock  of  these  fowls.  At  the  moment  we  dis- 
covered them  I  suppose  we  were  fully  six  hundred  yards 
away.  We  continued  to  paddle  forward  cautiously  until 
we  had  shortened  the  range  to  about  three  hundred  yards,. 


232 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


1^  I!    ' 


mi 


when  I  raised  my  rifle  and  forwarded  my  compliments. 
One  fine  bird  in  the  flock  promptly  acknowledged  the 
receipt  of  the  same  by  the  loss  of  her  head  and  turning 
up  her  feet.  This  was  our  prompt  commencement  in 
providing  flesh  food  for  our  larder,  and  the  success  of  the 
shot  gave  us  much  satisfaction.  We  pulled  away  on  our 
paddles,  picked  up  our  game,  and  then  headed  for  that 
point  on  the  shore  where  we  intended  to  disembark. 
Breaking  the  ice  with  the  paddle  was  now  becoming  per- 
ceptibly more  difficult  every  hour,  and  the  lapse  of  a  very 
brief  period  will  render  it  an  impossibility.  The  shore 
was  finally  reached,  the  canoe  taken  from  the  water,  and, 
after  being  turned  bottom  upward,  was  placed  on  some 
brush,  while  the  captain  remarked,  "  Navigation  is  closed ; 
we  shall  have  no  further  use  for  little  birch-barks  this 
year."  The  tramp  was  at  this  point  again  resumed,  and 
we  pushed  forward  as  rapidly  as  was  possible  under  the 
circumstances  for  our  destination.  The  captain  aimed  to 
reach  a  little  hut  which  he  had  constructed  some  years 
previously,  while  trapping  in  this  part  of  the  forest,  before 
nightfall,  in  order  to  spend  the  night  in  it. 

The  storm  had  now  ceased ;  the  sun  shone  out,  but  it 
was  nevertheless  very  cold.  The  game  had  commenced 
to  move  about,  although  during  the  storm  it  had  remained 
under  cover  and  was  inactive.  We  saw  tracks  of  the  red 
deer  and  the  moose.  It  was  about  five  o'clock  when  we 
arrived  at  the  trapper's  cabin.  We  were  once  more  dis- 
appointed :  we  had  hoped  for  shelter  and  there  was  none. 
The  roof  of  this  cabin  had  fallen  in,  evidently  some  months 
previously,  and   consequently  its   Interior   was  filled  with 


I 


t  H   •] 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


233 


snow,  while  the  side  walls  were  yet  standing.  There  was 
no  time  to  be  lost.  The  necessary  preparations  must  be 
made  for  the  night.  It  was  determined  to  remove  the 
snow  and  debris  from  the  cabin  in  order  that  we  might 
occupy  it.  Both  the  captain  and  myself  set  to  the  per- 
formance of  this  work  with  much  energy.  It  was  now 
more  pleasant  to  work  than  to  remain  idle.  Work  brought 
with  it  warmth  and  comfort,  while  inactivity  was  attended 
with  a  chattering  of  the  teeth  and  physical  suffering. 
These  efforts  did  not  cease  until  we  had  in  some  measure 
accomplished  our  object.  The  snow  and  rubbish  had  been 
partially  removed  and  a  new  roof  placed  on  the  old  walls 
of  the  cabin.  The  fire  was  built  within  this  structure ;  a 
hole  in  the  roof  nearly  four  feet  square  had  been  left  for 
the  escape  of  the  smoke,  besides  which  great  openings 
remained  in  the  side  walls  and  roof,  through  which  the 
starry  heavens  were  visible.  The  evening  meal  consisted 
of  an  abundance  of  hot  cramper  and  tea ;  we  had  reserved 
the  duck  for  our  breakfast.  The  only  blankets  we  had 
with  us  had  been  dug  up  from  beneath  the  snow  that  had 
drifted  under  the  lean-to  on  Moose  Hill,  and  were,  there- 
fore, wet.  We  spent  much  of  the  evening  in  attempting 
to  dry  them  before  our  fire.  These  blankets  were  finally 
arranged  within  the  cabin  and  we  attempted  to  secure 
sleep,  but  the  cold  was  so  intense  as  to  seriously  interfere 
with  this  purpose,  although  the  physical  efforts  made  by 
us  during  the  day  strongly  predisposed  us  in  this  direction. 
The  captain  was  up  and  moving  two  hours  before  the  dawn 
of  day.  He  promptly,  after  rising,  paid  special  attention 
to  the  fire ;    the  increased  warmth  diffused  itself  through 


I 

III 


!   I' 


'•I 


234 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE,' 


the  cabin,  and  thus  afforded  me  a  better  opportunity  to 
secure  some  refreshing  sleep,  which,  it  is  hardly  necessary 
for  me  to  say,  I  willingly  improved.  It  was  not  until  day- 
break that  I  aroused  myself  and  made  ready  for  break- 
fast, which  had  already  been  elegantly  prepared  by  my 
guide. 


,i!: 


t 
i  II  "I 

1 14 
"1 


til  I  f. 
," .  1 

'9 


r' 


■H 


'  to 
iary 
lay- 
iak- 
my 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


235 


CHAPTER   XII. 


The  Bear   which  was   not   killed— Following   the   Moose— The  "Captain 

KILLED     THE     BULL     MoOSE— PACKING    OUT     OF    THE     WoODS— THE     ReST     AT 

Harkness's  Shack— a  Hard  Tramp— Burk's  Falls— A  Deer-Hunt- An- 
other Trip  to  Canada  in  the  Company  ok  my  Son,  a  Lad  of  Fifteen- 
Teaching  THE  Boy  to  Shoot-Killed  his  First  Deer— An  Exciting 
Chase— The  Old  Doe  makes  her  Escape. 


^HE  reader  left  us  busied  in  our  miserable 
cabin  with  our  morning  meal,  which  having 
been  completed,  we  started  off  for  the  old 
bear's  food-supply.  This  point  was  distant 
from  the  cabin  something  less  than  a  mile, 
and  was,  therefore,  reached  within  half  an 
hour  after  the  start  was  made.  We  found 
HiJ  that  the  dead  moose  had  not  been  visited  by  old 
P^  bruin  since  the  heavy  snow-fall;  although  a  flock 
of  ravens  had  uncovered  the  carcass  and  were  engaged  in 
picking  the  flesh  from  his  bones  at  the  moment  of  our 
arrival.  The  prospect  of  meeting  the  game  which  we 
sought,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  now  very  discouraging ; 
but,  nevertheless,  I  was  determined  to  remain  on  the  watch 
here  for  the  present.  The  captain  ::ut  out  some  of  the 
underbrush  in  order  that  I  might  le  better  enabled  to 
discover  the  approach  of  the  much-desired  visitor,  and 
then  left  me,  saying,  "I  will  go  off  in  search  of  other 
game."     I  remained  on  this  lonely  bear-watch  about  five 


I  I 


'I  '  ' 


,11  ii, 

I    111    , 
I      I 


236 


TIf£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


hours, 


and  then  went  to  hunt  the  moose  or  deer. 
I  followed  the  first  trail  that  I  struck.    It 
had  been  made  by  a  red  deer ;  was  still 
fresh,   but   soon    crossed    another   trail 
which   had   been   left  by  three  moose. 
This  trail  had  evidently  been   made  on 
the  previous  day  while  it  was  still 
snowing,  and  tne  tracks  had  been, 
in  some  measure,  obscured  from 


this  cause.  I  plodded  along  slowly  on 
this  trail  about  one  hour,  when  I  was 
greatly  delighted  to  find  it  crossed  by 
another  which  was  fresh  and  made  by 
the  same  number  of  animals.  I  imme- 
diately turned  away  from  the  old  trail 


/ 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


237 


r. 

It 

11 

111 

e. 

)n 

ill 

n, 

m 


^ 


and  started  off  on  the  fresh  one.  Within  twenty  minutes  I 
discovered  that  the  new  trail  had  been  made  within  half  an 
hour,  and  was,  therefore,  encouraged  to  push  forward, 
hoping  to  r,Lrike  these  animals  before  nightfall.  The  deep 
snow  seriously  impeded  my  progress ;  but,  nevertheless,  I 
soon  came  on  their  warm  beds,  from  which  they  had  just 
risen,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  I  am  not  cer- 
tain whether  they  were  frightened  from  their  repose  by  my 
incautious  approach,  but  think  it  more  probable  that  they 
scented  me  because  of  an  unfavorable  wind.  However, 
they  succeeded  in  getting  away  without  receiving  my  fire. 

Their  retreat  was  made  in  good  order  and  without  any 
unseemly  haste.  I  continued  the  pursuit  an  hour  longer, 
until  warned  by  the  sinking  sun  that  it  was  time  to  turn 
my  face  towards  our  hut,  which  was  now  distant  from  me 
at  least  eight  miles.  It  was  with  a  heavy  heart  that  I  re- 
traced my  steps  without  knowing  that  our  larder  was  yet 
supplied  with  meat.  I  was  overtaken  in  this  great  forest 
by  the  shades  of  night  while  yet  four  or  five  miles  from 
the  camp,  although  the  stars  shone  out  brightly  in  the 
absence  of  the  sunlight,  and  the  moon  soon  came  up  to 
light  me  along  my  way. 

I  halted  by  the  side  of  the  dead  moose  to  ascertain  if  old 
bruin  bid  been  there  for  his  meal,  but  my  examination  soon 
convinced  me  that  he  had  fully  determined  to  wait  for  more 
pleasant  weather  before  he  resumed  eating.  Therefore  it 
only  remained  for  me  to  hasten  on  to  the  hut,  where  I  was 
fully  assured  that  I  would  be  heartily  welcomed  by  the 
captain. 

I   arrived   at  my  destination   in   due   time.     The   first 


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238 


TJIE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


object  which  attracted  my  attention  was  the  cheerful  blaze 
of  the  wood  fire,  after  which  my  eyes  fell  on  the  bull 
moose's  head  lying  just  outside  of  the  hut.  It  was  now 
plain  that  the  captain's  hunt  had  been  rewarded  by  killing 
a  moose.  After  inspecting,  by  the  moonlight  and  the  light 
from  the  fire,  this  head  and  the  antlers,  I  entered  the  hut, 
where  I  saw  hanging  on  the  wall  an  abundance  of  moose- 
meat.  A  single  glance  at  the  captain's  face  convinced  me 
that  he  was  happy.  He  greeted  me  pleasandy,  and  I 
prompdy  inquired  of  him  in  regard  to  the  sport  of  the  day. 
He  briefly  detailed  his  doings ;  informed  me  that  he  had 
seen  several  moose  after  he  parted  from  me  in  the  morn- 
ing, but  had  killed  only  a  single  animal.  He  was  inclined 
to  think  that  he  had  not  been  as  successful  in  killing  game 
as  was  demanded  by  the  circumstances  of  the  case.  I 
inquired  in  regard  to  the  number  of  shots  that  he  had  fired 
during  the  day,  and  he  replied,  "  I  don't  know  ;  the  number 
is  less  than  thirty."  He  furthermore  added  that  he  had 
shot  eighteen  times  at  the  bull  which  he  killed  before  the 
animal  ceased  to  show  signs  of  life.  The  reader  may 
here  find  himself  inclined  to  think  that  the  captain  should 
be  classed  among  amateur  sportsmen,  but  I  will  only  say 
that  it  would  be  a  very  difficult  task  to  find  an  expert  that 
could  kill  as  much  game  in  these  woods  as  my  old  guide. 
The  repeating-rifle  has  brought  about  a  change  in  the 
methods  of  killing  game.  The  sportsman  no  longer  re- 
fuses to  fire  a  shot  unless  he  is  certain  that  his  bullet  will 
enter  some  vulnerable  point  in  the  animal,  but  shoots 
away,  and  trusts  by  this  means  that,  should  he  fail  to  kill 
promptly,  he  will  at  least  succeed  in  effecting  a  change  in 


m^wm 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


239 


the  position  of  the  game  that  may  enable  him  to  make 
a  more  effective  shot  the  next  time ;  prompted  by  this 
idea,  the  shooting  goes  on  until  the  game  has  been  killed 
or  makes  its  escape.  The  captain  shoots  with  great 
rapidity,  and,  consequently,  frequently  fires  several  shots 
after  the  mortal  wound  has  been  inflicted.  In  moose-, 
bear-,  and  deer-hunting  he  does  not  cease  his  fusillade  so 
long  as  the  animal  shows  any  indications  of  even  a  linger- 
ing vitality. 

The  second  night  that  we  spent  in  this  miserable  hut 
was  passed  somewhat  more  comfortably  than  the  first. 
This  was  owing  partially  to  the  fact  that  during  the  second 
night  the  weather  moderated  considerably,  and  our  blankets 
were  in  a  better  condition.  Furthermore,  the  captain  had 
spent  some  time  in  closing  the  chinks  between  the  logs 
after  his  return  from  the  moose-hunt,  and  had  likewise 
carefully  prepared  the  wood  for  the  fire.  I  take  from  my 
diary  the  following  dull  and  unromantic  statement  of  facts: 

Friday y  November  6,  1884. — The  captain  started  from 
the  hut  this  morning  promptly  after  we  had  breakfasted 
on  moose-meat,  tea,  and  cramper,  with  the  intention  of 
following  up  the  trail  which  I  had  abandoned  at  three 
o'clock  on  the  previous  day.  He  casually  remarked  when 
he  left  me  that  he  might  not  be  out  more  than  three  or 
four  hours,  as  it  seemed  likely  to  rain.  I  commenced  the 
preparation  of  the  moose-head  for  transportation  and 
mounting  immediately  after  his  departure,  and  was  steadily 
engaged  in  the  performance  of  this  work  from  nine  o'clock 
A.M.  until  four  o'clock  p.m.  It  was  cloudy  in  the  morning, 
but  cleared  before  noon.     The  snow  melted  slightly  during 


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240 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


the  clay.  About  half-past  four  o'clock  I  started  out  to 
look  after  the  bear ;  found  the  moose-carcass ;  saw  a  pine- 
marten  in  the  act  of  leaving  it ;  he  climbed  a  tree ;  I  shot 
him  and  then  returned  to  camp.  The  bear  has  not  visited 
the  dead  moose  since  the  heavy  snow-storm  that  com- 
menced early  Tuesday  morning.  The  captain  has  not  yet 
returned  to  camp,  although  it  is  now  rapidly  becoming 
dark.  I  spent  an  hour  in  procuring  a  supply  of  wood  for 
our  fire,  which  we  are  compelled  to  keep  burning  all 
night.  I  was  doomed  to  spend  the  night  in  a  miserable 
hut  without  a  companion,  since  the  captain  did  not  return 
until  about  ten  o'clock  Saturday  morning.  He  brought 
with  him  two  companions  to  assist  in  transferring  our 
luggage  to  Harkness's  Clearings. 

Prior  to  our  start  he  cooked  some  moose-meat,  and  we 
all  partook  of  the  har  Hy-prepared  lunch,  and  then  promptly 
commenced  the  homeward  journey.  The  hunt  was  ended, 
but  in  leaving  the  forest  we  saw  many  fresh  moose-tracks. 
The  game  was  evidently  moving  about  in  a  lively  fashion 
this  morning,  but  we  were  not  inclined  to  spend  any  more 
time  in  the  chase. 

The  captain  readily  explained  his  absence  from  the 
camp  on  the  preceding  night  by  informing  me  that  the 
trail  which  he  had  taken  up  soon  after  our  separation  on 
the  previous  morning  was  the  same  that  I  had  followed 
so  industriously  the  day  that  he  had  killed  the  bull  moose 
near  our  present  encampment.  This  trail  finally  brought 
him  within  a  few  miles  of  Harkness's  cabin ;  and,  inasmuch 
as  it  was  then  about  sunset,  he  concluded  to  take  lodging 
with  his  old  friend  and  return  to  me  the  next  morning. 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


241 


He  had  found  the  animals  which  he  was  trailing  rather 
shy,  and  consequently  had  only  once  during  the  day  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  within  gunshot  of  them.  A  single  shot 
fired  at  long  range  was  therefore  the  sum  total  of  his  day's 
work. 

His  absence  from  my  camp  during  the  entire  night  had 
been  attended  with  some  inconvenience  to  myself,  but  with 
very  little  anxiety,  since  his  knowledge  of  woodcraft  and 
the  use  of  firearms  was  a  sufficient  guarantee  that  he 
would  turn  up  all  right.  I  am  free  to  confess,  however, 
that  the  want  of  companionship  was  keenly  felt  during  his 
absence. 

We  had  previously  arranged  in  regard  to  our  departure 
from  the  woods,  and  it  was  therefore  entirely  in  harmony 
with  my  wishes  to  find  myself,  on  the  evening  of  the  7th 
of  November,  once  more  in  the  company  of  my  photog- 
rapher and  George  Ross,  the  junior  guide.  The  entire 
party,  in  accordance  with  the  prearranged  plans,  have  this 
day  united  at  Mr.  Harkness's  cabin,*  who  supplies  us  with 
very  good  meals,  while  we  are  comfortably  lodged  in  a 
log  cabin  built  near  his  own  by  Mr.  Woo-I,  who  has  since 
married  the  daughter  of  our  host. 

Here  the  adventures  of  the  last  two  months  were  again 
reviewed,  and  here,  again,  we  joyfully  recalled  the  sports 
and  hardships  in  which  we  had  so  recently  participated. 
We  had  gathered  during  our  hunt  a  large  number  of 
trophies,  and  had  likewise  secured  many  valuable  nega- 
tives. It  was,  therefore,  with  much  satisfaction  that  we 
summed  up  the  results  of  this  expedition. 

*  See  tail-piece  Chapter  XI. 
16 


•-'    .1 


I 


■^^ 


242 


TJI£  SPOJ^TSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


Sunday,  November  8,  was  spent  quietly  by  our  party 
at  Harkness's  place,  although  it  was  found  necessary  to 
make  some  preparation  for  our  departure.  The  day 
passed  slowly ;  seemed  unusually  long ;  probably  because 
we  were  now  anxious  to  get  home,  to  meet  again  with 
our  families.  Nearly  two  months  have  elapsed  since  either 
Tvlr.  Mildenberger  or  myself  have  received  any  tidings 
from  Jersey  City,  but  we  expect  to  find  letters  awaiting  our 
arrival  at  Spence.  We  were  up  and  had  breakfast  before 
daylight  the  next  morning.     The  ox-team  had  been  yoked 


A  hard  tramp — homeward  bound. 

and  were  hitched  to  the  old  jumper  before  the  first  rays 
of  the  morning  light  were  visible  in  the  east.  The  gray 
dawn  of  the  morning  found  us  moving  homeward  through 
the  stiffened  snow,  which  was  now  about  twelve  inches 
deep ;  traversing  a  broad  swamp  which  had  not  yet  been 
closed  by  the  cold  frosts  of  autumn ;  travelling  on  a  track- 
less and  miserable  wood-road  where  the  oxen  wallowed 
deep  in  the  mud,  while  the  pedestrians  occasionally  sank 
so  deeply  into  these  sloughs  as  to  require  the  assistance 
of  a  companion  to  extricate  them.     The  old  jumper  fared 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS    OF  CANADA. 


243 


D')  better.  It  frequently  sank  deeply  into  the  mud  and 
became  entangled  with  the  roots  of  trees  and  th°  adjacent 
rocks,  thus  bringing  our  team  to  a  full  halt,  and  commonly 
compelling  them  to  remain  in  this  position  until  levers  I  a-.i 
been  procured,  by  the  proper  use  of  which  we  were  -A- 
ways  enabled  to  elevate  and  disengage  our  jumper  and 
finally  proceed  on  our  journey.  The  old  jumper  aft  r 
a  while  became  so  weakened  by  these  repeated  strains  as 
to  show  marked  indications  of  a  rapidly-approaching  dis- 
solution. It,  in  fact,  became  necessary  to  strengthen  our 
frail  vehicle  in  all  its  parts  before  we  reached  the  objective- 
point  for  which  we  started  with  the  jumper  this  morning,  al- 
though it  was  distant  from  Harkness's  cabin  only  six  miles. 
The  morning  hours  were  thus  passed,  and  it  was  nearly 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  before  we  reached  our  first 
stopping-place.  The  jumper  was  now  a  complete  wreck, 
and  the  oxen  were  wet  with  their  perspiration  and  well 
bespattered  with  mud.  We  had  previously  arranged  with 
Mr.  Cunningham  to  provide  for  us  a  dinner  and  then  take 
our  luggage  forward  from  this  point  to  Burk's  Falls  with  a 
horse-team.  The  dinner  was  awaiting  our  arrival ;  the 
team  was  soon  placed  before  the  wagon  and  our  luggage 
was  transferred  to  it.  The  halt  made  here  did  not  exceed 
forty-five  minutes,  when  the  tramp  was  again  resumed. 
The  circumstances  now  seemed  mere  favorable  to  our 
progress.  We  had  reached  the  Queen  3  Highway.  The 
fall  of  snow  had  not  been  so  deep  here  as  in  the  woods, 
and  had  probably  melted  down  rapidly ;  therefore  there 
were  here  visible  a  few  bare  spots  of  earth,  although  the 
road   on  which  we  are  to  travel  has  been  recendy  con- 


m 


244 


TJI£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


t^'lMo 


structed  and  is  now  a  perfect  bed  of  mud.  I  started  off 
in  company  with  the  captain,  taking  a  route  across  the 
fields  and  through  the  woods.  The  photographer  and 
George  Ross  have  preceded  us.  Cunningham's  horses 
drag  the  heavily-loaded  wagon  slowly  along  the  highway. 
The  pedestrian  is  able  to  make  better  time  than  these 
horses  under  the  circumstances.  A  brisk  walk  of  three 
miles  enabled  the  captain  and  myself  to  overtake  the  pho- 
tographer and  the  junior  guide.  It  was  during  this  walk, 
and  prior  to  the  overhauling  of  our  companions,  that  we 
chanced  to  come  upon  a  wood-chopper,  who  was  engaged 
in  levelling  the  forest  preparatory  to  clearing  it  for  cultiva- 
tion. He  had  previously  been  informed  that  we  had  left 
the  woods  and  were  now  homeward  bound,  carrying  with 
us  a  wagon-load  of  trophies.  He,  therefore,  began  to 
question  the  captain  in  regard  to  our  unsurpassed  success 
in  hunting ;  ahd  while  they  were  engaged  in  this  conver- 
sation I  espied  a  meat-bird  sitting  on  the  top  branches  of 
a  tree  about  six  rods  distant  from  me.  The  sight  of  the 
bird  prompted  me  to  raise  my  rifle  and  fire  a  shot,  which 
chanced  to  drop  the  bird  to  the  ground.  The  wood- 
chopper  quickly  rushed  away  with  the  instincts  of  a  re- 
triever, and  soon  returned  with  the  dead  bird  in  his  hand, 
which  he  promptly  delivered  to  me.  He  instantly  re- 
marked, "I  am  not  surprised  that  you  have  secured  a 
wagon-load  of  trophies  after  seeing  you  drop  that  small 
bird  at  such  a  long  distance."  He  was  now  evidently  anx- 
ious to  see  me  make  another  trial  of  my  skill  with  the  rifle, 
since  he  soon  pointed  out  another  bird  of  the  same  species 
within  the  range  of  my  gun.     I  had  made  a  good  shot,  and 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


245 


did  not  care  to  repeat  the  effort  lest  I  might  not  add  to  my 
reputation  as  a  marksman  ;  and,  consequently,  I  now  placed 
my  gun  in  the  captain's  hands  and  requested  him  to  try  his 
skill.  He  fired  two  shots  and  killed  a  bird  each  time, 
although  they  were  not  within  a  short  range.  The  wood- 
chopper  was  now  apparently  greatly  impressed,  and  asked 
permission  to  examine  the  rifle,  which  he  was  promptly 
allowed  to  do.  He  seemed  to  admire  the  gun  very  much, 
and  asked  many  questions  about  its  cost,  etc.,  and  then 
complained  that  the  backwoodsmen  were  so  badly  supplied 
with  firear-^is.  He  finally  remarked  that  if  they  possessed 
better  guns  they  could  then  supply  themselves  with  meat, — 
an  article  which  was  very  seldom  seen  in  these  poor  cabins. 
This  wayside  chat  was  now  brought  to  an  end,  and 
we  bade  our  new-made  acquaintance  "  good-by,"  and  once 
more  resumed  our  tramp.  Half  an  hour  later  we  came  up 
with  the  photographer  and  the  junior  guide.  The  captain 
now  suggested  that  he  would  wait  by  the  roadside  until 
the  wagon  carrying  the  trophies  should  come  up,  in  order 
tc  render  the  driver  such  assistance  as  he  might  require 
01  the  rough  road.  I  now  went  forward  in  company  with 
the  photographer  and  George  Ross.  The  road  was  in  a 
horrible  condition  ;  mud  and  water  greatly  impeded  our 
progress,  while*  in  many  places  the  clay  held  so  tena- 
ciously to  our  feet  that  it  was  very  fatiguing  to  move  for- 
ward even  at  a  slow  pace,  consequently  we  plodded  slowly 
along.  It  was  five  o'clock  when  we  reached  Berryville. 
We  were  then  five  miles  from  Burk's  Fall?.  At  this  point 
we  entered  a  small  country  store  and  learned  that  Mr. 
Cleveland  had  been  elected  President  of  the  United  States 


p«:;t 


346 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


Kfi.ill' 


!'i:-i 


during  our  absence.  It  had  now  been  more  than  six  weeks 
since  we  had  seen  a  newspaper.  The  photographer  and 
myself  were  highly  pleased  with  the  result  of  this  election. 
Crackers  and  cheese  were  obtained  and  sufficed  to  appease 
our  hunger,  but  our  soreness  was  only  increased  by  this 
halt.  The  shades  of  night  had  gathered  about  us  before 
we  renewed  our  journey.  We  were,  therefore,  compelled, 
when  we  left  the  store  and  started  off  again  for  our  ob- 
jective-point, to  walk  in  the  middle  of  the  road ;  it  was  no 
longer  possible  to  pick  our  way  or  choose  our  path,  since 
the  darkness  was  so  great  as  to  render  invisible  every 
object  situated  more  than  three  feet  from  us.  At  every 
step  taken  in  this  mud  we  sank  into  it  deeply,  sometimes 
even  to  our  knees.  It  was  no  longer  possible  to  walk 
erect  and  pursue  a  straight  course,  but  we  reeled  about 
like  drunken  men,  so  great  was  our  fatigue.  Horrible ! 
horrible !  was  this  severe  ordeal !  We  could  not  hali  for 
the  night.  No  shelter  could  be  had  after  we  left  Berry- 
ville  until  we  reached  Burk's  Falls.  Our  situation  was  no 
longer  enjoyable.  We  had  undertaken  to  perform  a  very 
difficult  task,  too  great  a  labor ;  but  the  plan  could  not  be 
changed,  and  therefore  we  pushed  forward.  We  finally 
arrived  at  our  hotel  about  eight  in  the  evening.  We  were 
foot-sore  and  weary.  George  Ross,  a  strong  backwoods- 
man, was  pale  and  trembled  in  every  muscle ;  my  feet  were 
badly  blistered  and  greatly  swollen.  I  could  scarcely 
stand  ;  removed  my  shoes  as  quickly  as  possible  after  I 
entered  the  hotel.  Sent  to  the  store  and  purchased  a  pair 
of  arctics,  which  I  prompdy  donned  after  taking  a  foot- 
bath.     The  junior   guide  was  thoroughly  exhausted  and 


»wa»-.>»w?i^j«t«sat^.Tj8yj 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


247 


began  to  vomit  soon  after  our  arrival.  Should  the  reader 
venture  to  think  that  our  condition  was  in  some  measure 
dependent  on  the  use  of  alcoholic  stimulants,  allow  me  to 
inform  him  that  no  man  in  our  party  has  tasted  a  drop  of 
strong  drink  during  the  last  six  weeks.  Nothing  has  been 
said  in  regard  to  the  condition  of  our  photographei  at  the 
time  of  our  arrival.  I  think  it  must  be  admitted  that  he 
had  passed  through  this  trying  ordeal  somewhat  more 
fortunately  than  either  George  Ross  or  myself,  but  he 
frankly  admitted  that  he  had  never  been  so  greatly 
fatigued  prior  to  this  tramp.  We  had  walked  today 
twenty  miles,  but  could  have  made  fifty  with  more  ease 
had  the  condition  of  the  roads  been  favorable  to  sucii  an 
effort.  1  retired  to  my  room,  which  was  well  warmed,  at 
an  early  hour ;  but  notwithstanding  the  precaution  taken 
I  was  seized  with  a  chill,  which  lasted  about  half  an  hour. 
The  wagon  with  our  trophies  did  not  arrive  until  eleven 
o'clock  that  night.  Darkness  and  the  bad  condition  of 
the  roads  had  been  the  cause  of  the  delay.  The  team  was 
a  very  strong  one  and  in  a  very  good  condition  for  heavy 
work. 

Having  passed  the  night  tolerably  well,  our  party  met 
at  the  breakfast-table  the  following  morning  about  nine 
o'clock  somewhat  refreshed.  A  party  of  deer-hunters 
living  in  this  village  had  proposed  a  deer-hunt  to  the 
captain  and  wished  us  to  join  them  in  this  sport.  The 
hunt  was  to  take  place  near  the  village,  and  we  were  in- 
formed that  the  run-ways  could  be  reached  by  a  buck-board 
wagon.  It  was  impossible  for  us  to  leave  here  until  the 
following  morning,  since  "  Ponto"  had  wearied  during  the 


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248 


TIf£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


long 


tramp  of  the  previous  day  and  found  a  new  home 
at  Berryville.  It  had  already  been  settled  that  George 
Ross  should  procure  a  horse  and  saddle  and  return  for  the 
purpose  of  bringing  up  the  straggler.  Therefore,  after 
considerable  consideration  of  this  subject,  I  rather  reluc- 
tantly consented  to  become  one  of  the  hunting-party.  A 
buck-board  wagon  was  procured  for  the  use  of  a  circuit 
judge — who  was  one  of  the  party — and  myself,  and  we 
were  duly  driven  to  a  run-way  which  it  had  been  decided 
that  we  were  to  watch. 

The  occurrences  of  the  morning  were  very  similar  to 
those  which  have  been  already  so  frequently  described. 
The  music  made  by  the  hounds  was  very  exciting,  and  the 
deer  was  killed  by  the  captain.  We  returned  to  the  village 
after  the  single  race  and  spent  the  balance  of  the  day  in 
the  hotel. 

Thus  ended  the  grandest  hunt  in  which  it  has  ever  been 
my  good  fortune  to  participate.  It  is  true  that  we  endured 
many  hardships,  but  we  were  more  than  amply  compensated 
for  all  these  by  the  pleasures  of  the  chase.  We  returned  to 
our  professional  duties  reinvigorated  and  better  prepared 
for  the  discharge  of  those  efforts  demanded  of  us,  both 
mental  and  physical. 

The  question  may  be  raised  by  the  reader  if  it  were 
not  possible  to  have  avoided  many  of  the  severe  tramps 
and  likewise  some  of  the  exposure.  This  inquiry  must  be 
answered  in  the  affirmative,  since  it  must  be  self-evident 
to  every  reader  that  the  amount  of  tramping  done  in  any 
particular  casr^  will  depend  largely  on  the  inclination  of 
the    sportsman.     In    deer-hunting   it   is   quite   possible    to 


wjim(i:xtV'-m9m»^mmmBi^i^'-*''-'f-rii>e-x'f-»'>«i'i-y.- 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


249 


ivere 
mps 

St  be 

ident 
any 
n  of 

~le   to 


avoid  any  degree  of  exercise  which  Wiil  be  fatiguing,  es- 
pecially when  hounds  are  employed.  The  sportsman  may 
haA  e  his  tent  erected  near  the  point  where  the  hunt  is  to 
take  place,  and  thus  avoid  the  necessity  of  any  tramping. 
He  can  proceed  in  his  canoe  to  any  point  of  the  lake  which 
it  is  deemed  advisable  to  wi»tch,  or  should  he  elect  to 
watch  a  run-way,  the  location  of  his  tent  may  be  such  that 
the  walk  would  not  be  fatiguing.  Lake-hunting  is  commonly 
practised  in  this  region,  and  there  are  probably  ninety-nine 
deer  killed  in  the  water  where  there  is  one  killed  on  the 
run-ways  when  hounds  are  employed. 

In  still-hunting  the  sportsman  may  determine  for  him- 
self the  amount  of  walking  which  he  will  do ;  but  the 
results  of  the  hunt  will  depend  very  largely  upon  the 
energy  and  industry  of  the  sportsman,  especially  if  the 
other  factors  of  success  are  equal.  The  red  deer  are  very 
abundant  throughout  this  entire  region,  and  may  be  suc- 
cessfully hunted  in  close  proximity  to  the  settlers'  cabins. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  ruffed  grouse.  There  is  likewise 
very  excellent  bass-  and  pickerel-fishing  in  nearly  all  the 
lakes  and  rivers  in  the  sparsely-settled  districts,  but  those 
who  desire  really  good  trout-fishing,  except  during  the 
early  part  of  the  month  of  June,  must  go  back  into  the 
forests.  A  single  day's  journey  from  a  railroad  depot 
will,  however,  suffice  to  bring  the  fisherman  into  a  region 
where  his  efforts,  even  in  autumn,  will  be  rewarded  by  the 
capture  of  the  speckled  beauties.  This  region  of  country 
in  which  I  have  hunted  may  be  very  readily  reached  by 
the  Northern  Railroad  from  Toronto,  Canada ;  while  the 
sportsman  may  very  well  procure  the  necessary  supply  of 


Is: 


4 
it" 


fm 


p4 


I, 


I,      t 


>ii  1 


ii!'ii    ( 


I'i- 


11 


h\ 


'                  f      ill 

250 


T//E  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


provisions  from  any  of  the  small  villages  on  this  line.  Sup- 
plies may  be  had  of  excellent  quality  and  in  any  desired 
quantity  at  Burk's  Falls.  Hotel  accommodation  is,  like- 
wise, abundant  and  of  such  a  character  as  to  satisfy  most 
sportsmen.  I  think  it  is  highly  probable  that  some  sports- 
men may  prefer  to  remain  in  a  hotel  and  do  their  shooting 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  same,  although  much 
better  results  may  be  obtained  by  tenting  on  the  field 
selected  for  the  sport.  The  author  likewise  believes  that 
the  sportsman  will  add  greatly  to  his  enjoyment  by  the 
latter  course  of  procedure,  which  certainly  possesses  for 
most  men  a  charm  independent  of  the  increased  facilities 
it  affords  for  procuring  game. 

I  recently  spent  a  few  days  very  pleasantly  in  the 
vicinity  of  Maganetawan  in  deer-hunting  and  partridge- 
shooting,  in  company  with  my  son,  a  youth  of  fifteen  years, 
and  inasmuch  as  it  illustrates  the  possibility  of  obtaining 
.ery  good  sport  without  any  great  fatigue  or  exertion,  I 
am  disposed  to  give  a  brief  description  of  this  trip,  which 
I  think  may  not -be  devoid  of  interest.  We  started  from 
our  home  in  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey,  August  31,  1886. 
An  evening  train  on  the  New  York,  Lake  Erie  and 
Western  Railroad  carried  us  forwards  towards  our  desti- 
nation. The  next  morning  found  us  at  Niagara  Falls, 
where  we  spent  the  most  of  the  day  in  sight-seeing,  but 
we  reached  Toronto  at  a  late  hour  of  the  same  evening:. 
The  following  morning  we  were  moving  forward  by  the 
Northern  Railroad  towards  Muskoka.  In  due  time  we 
arrived  at  the  village  of  Maganetawan,  where  we  were 
very  cordially  received  by  the  fat  and  genial  proprietor  of 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


2^1 


a  hotel  which  bears  the  same  name  as  the  village  in  which 
it  is  located.  He  had  been  informed,  prior  to  our  arrival, 
by  the  captain  that  we  were  en  route  for  the  woods,  and 
might  be  expected  in  this  village  at  the  date  on  which  we 
reached  it,  and  consequently  we  were  not  unexpected 
guests.  In  accordance  with  a  previous  arrangement  made 
with  Captain  Ross,  he  put  in  an  appearance  at  our  hotel 
the  next  morning  at  an  early  hour.  He  had  brought  with 
him  a  wagon  to  transport  us  and  our  baggage  to  the  lake 
of  "  Many  Islands,"  where  it  had  already  been  determined 
the  hunt  should  take  place. 

We  reached  our  destination  Saturday,  September  5,  at 
about  half-past  three  o'clock.  This  lake  is  situated  about 
eleven  miles  from  the  village  of  Maganetawan,  and  our 
baggage  was  delivered  by  the  wagon  within  half  a  mile  of 
its  shore.  Inasmuch  as  the  latter  portion  of  the  road  we 
had  traversed  had  been  found  to  be  rather  rough,  we  had 
therefore  chosen  to  walk  about  three  miles.  The  scene 
presented  by  this  lake  on  our  arrival  was  highly  pleasing. 
There  lay  spread  out  before  us  a  rnagnificent  sheet  of  pure 
water  stirred  by  a  slight  breeze,  which  produced  little  rip- 
ples on  its  surface,  that  sparkled  with  the  brilliance  of 
diamonds  surrounded  with  bright  silver  in  the  clear  sun- 
light of  a  cloudless  autumn  day.  The  lake  of  *•  Many 
Islands"  is  very  similar  to  many  others  in  this  "Lake  Land 
of  Canada."  It  is  about  three  miles  in  length  and  one 
mile  in  width,  while  its  numerous  islands  prevent  us  from 
seeing  but  a  small  portion  of  it  from  any  point  which  may 
be  selected  on  its  shore. 

At  the  time  of  our  visit  it  was  completely  surrounded 


^wim 

B  111 

ii^^  '^^ 

j}^ 

ni 

I 

n  '        )■    * 

1 

ri 

f 
1 

1 

25a 


2'Jf£  SPORl'SMAN'S  PARADISE; 


by  a  virgin  forest  of  hard  wood,  intersp^'rsed  with  giant 
pines ;  but  it  was  then  expected  that  the  lumbermen  would 
soon  commence  their  work  of  devastation,  which  will  not 
end  until  the  whole  neighborhood  has  been  robbed  of  the 
pine  timber. 

The  sun  was  shining  brightly  when  we  reached  the 
shore  of  this  lake,  and  the  weather  was  oppressively  warm. 
We,  therefore,  reclined  on  the  moss  whicli  grew  in  great 
abundance,  even  quite  near  the  water's  edge,  until  suffi- 
ciently rested  to  begin  the  labor  required  to  erect  our  tent 
and  perform  such  other  ities  about  the  camp  as  scorned 
to  be  necessary  for  our  comfort.  Myself  and  son  arc  ac- 
companied by  the  captain  and  two  other  guides,  conse- 
quently the  preparation  of  the  camp  is  quickly  effected. 
We  are  now  ready  to  start  out  for  some  fishing.  My  son 
and  myself  were  soon  seated  in  a  large,  birch-bark  canoe, 
and  the  captain  was  working  the  paddle.  We  have  each 
thrown  a  trollin<r-line  into  the  water,  and  the  bass  have 
promptly  responded  to  our  glittering  invitations.  We 
had  soon  captured  a  fine  lot  of  these  delicious  fish,  and 
among  them  there  was  one  large  one,  supposed  to  weigh 
fully  four  pounds. 

We  returned  to  our  camp  in  time  to  have  some  fish 
prepared  for  our  evening  meal.  The  sun  disappeared 
below  the  western  horizon  soon  after  we  had  finished  our 
supper,  and  the  evening  breeze  seemed  to  possess  just 
those  qualities  best  adapted  to  make  life  agreeable  ;  was 
neither  too  warm  nor  too  cool.  This  was  my  son's  first 
night  passed  under  canvas,  and  he  was  perfectly  charmed 
with  the  new  condition  of  things.     He  slept  soundly  and 


IP' 


Jf  Tip:-;  1 

M 


lii 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


253 


arose  early  the  following  morning  ^^really  refreshed,  while 
mental  visions  of  delight  rapidly  chased  each  other  through 
his  brain.  He  was  now  very  anxious  and  almost  impa- 
tient to  engage  in  a  deer-hunt.  It  was,  therefore,  with 
marked  joy  that  he  heard  the  captain  declare  that  he  would 
send  the  hounds  into  the  woods  immediately  after  break- 
fast. The  morning  was  warm, — almost  sultry, — and  the 
trees  were  covered  with  a  heavy  green  foliage,  but  as 
soon  as  the  breakfast  had  been  eaten  the  captain  directed 
"  Tom,"  one  of  the  guides,  to  start  with  the  hounds  into 
the  woods  and  send  us  a  deer.  "Tom"  obeyed  this  order 
with  alacrity,  while  the  captain  and  "Jim"  cleared  away  the 
remnants  of  the  morning  repast  and  put  in  order  the 
"  camp-kit." 

They  spent  about  twenty  minutes  in  this  labor,  and  the 
captain  then  announced  his  readiness  for  us  to  enter  the 
canoes.  Both  Henry  and  myself  entered  his  canoe,  which 
he  immediately  shoved  into  the  lake,  and  then  paddled  us 
off  about  one  mile  to  an  island  situated  near  the  head  of 
this  body  of  water.  "Jim"  had  followed  us  in  a  canoe. 
Both  canoes  were  drawn  upon  this  island  and  we  prompdy 
stepped  on  the  dry  land.  The  captain  now  carefully  sur- 
veyed the  surroundings  for  the  purpose  of  selecting  the 
most  advantageous  places  for  the  watch.  Having  satisfied 
himself  in  regard  to  this  matter,  he  then  said  to  me,  "  Doc- 
tor, you  will  go  with  me  in  my  canoe  and  your  son  will 
watch  with  •  Jim.'  " 

I  looked  at  Henry  and  instantly  discovered  that  he  was 
disappointed.  I  had  previously  informed  him  that  the 
captain  was  the  most  competent  guide,  and  that  I  should 


Ir   IH 


. 


i%-    '^ 


l^i;  I 


354 


T//£  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE,- 


llierefore  leave  him  In  his  charge,  in  order  that  he  might 
have  an  opportunity  to  kill  tne  i,''ame.  The  reader  will 
now  readily  comprehend  the  cause  of  the  lad's  disappoint- 
ment. I  now  informed  the  captain  of  my  desire  in  this 
matter,  and  he  promptly  consented  to  this  arrangement, 
which  placed  Henry  in  his  charge.  The  boy's  face  in- 
stantly lighted  up  and  he  was  again  happy.  The  captain 
now  gave  "Jim"  the  necessary  instructions,  and  we  started 
for  the  point  which  had  been  designated  for  our  watch. 
The  sun  was  shining  brightly,  and  there  was  only  a  slight 
breeze  at  this  time  on  the  lake. 

Having  reached  our  destination,  the  canoe  was  now 
drawn  on  the  land,  and  I  seated  myself  beneath  the  shade 
of  a  friendly  bush,  while  "  Jim"  remained  standing  in  order 
to  have  a  better  view  of  the  surroundings.  About  half 
an  hour  was  thus  spent,  when  I  was  suddenly  startled  by 
a  heavy  splash  in  the  water  and  an  exclamation  from  my 
guide,  who,  in  a  loud  whisper,  announced  the  presence  of 
a  buck  in  the  water.  I  promptly  arose  to  my  feet  and  dis- 
covered, with  the  guide's  assistance,  our  game  swimming 
out  towards  the  centre  of  the  lake.  This  charming  vision 
was  only  momentary,  since  the  animal  promptly  disap- 
peared behind  one  of  the  many  islands  that  grace  the  lake. 
Our  canoe  was  quickly  pushed  into  the  lake  and  quiedy 
entered.  We  then  pulled  away  with  all  our  might,  al- 
though we  were  now  confident  that  the  captain  had  already 
discovered  the  prize  and  was  moving  for  its  capture.  A 
few  moments  later,  having  then  rounded  the  island,  which 
momentarily  hid  from  our  vision  the  object  we  sought,  we 
again  saw  the  deer,  which  was  now  closely  pursued  by  the 


Jill 


I .  :l!i 


Tfri'T'-rnwna 


"^l' 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


255 


captain's  canoe,  while  my  son  was  seated  in  its  bow  with 
his  gun  already  raised  in  readiness  for  the  shot.  The 
captain  was  giving  him  the  necessary  instruction.  "Jim" 
was  paddling  with  all  his  might,  but  we  were  now  about 
five  hundred  yards  behind  the  captain,  while  he  was  within 
thirty  yards  of  the  buck.  The  command  was  given  by  the 
captain  in  the  following  language :  "  Take  aim  at  the  back 
of  the  head, — fire  !"  A  litde  puff  of  blue  smoke  was  seen 
to  shoot  forth  from  the  muzzle  of  the  lad's  gun ;  the  ani- 
mal's heavy  antlers  disappeared  beneath  the  waters  of  the 
lake ;  the  boy  had  killed  his  first  deer  and  was  as  happy 
as  a  general  who  had  just  won  his  first  batde.  This  buck's 
head  was  carefully  prepared  for  moundng  in  our  camp, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  boy's  trophies,  which  he  has  pre- 
served at  his  home  and  proudly  exhibits  to  his  youthful 
companions. 

We  remained  encamped  on  this  beautiful  sheet  of  water 
about  ten  days,  and  during  this  period  killed  eight  deer, 
many  ruffed  grouse,  and  caught  as  many  fish  as  we  de- 
sired for  our  table.  The  tent  was,  soon  after  our  arrival, 
removed  from  the  lake-shore — where  it  was  at  first  erected 
— to  one  of  the  many  islands  in  this  body  of  water,  where 
it  remained  until  the  day  of  our  departure.  The  boy  was 
made,  in  accordance  with  the  desire  which  the  author  had 
expressed  soon  after  our  arrival,  the  hero  of  the  hunt; 
and  during  our  brief  stay  killed  four  deer  and  more  than 
one-half  the  whole  number  of  partridges.  The  hunt  was 
practically  the  boy's  own  sport,  and  afforded  him  the  high- 
est pleasure  consistent  with  our  surroundings.  It  is  no 
part  of  my  intention,  at   the   present   time,  to   inflict   on 


'"^ItJI 


'ii : 


m  P 


ir:i 


i* 


'J  • 
it 


i*  n 


256 


r^^  SPORISMAN'S  PARADISE; 


the  reader  a  full  report  of  the  daily  occurrences  during 
our  stay  in  this  region,  but  I  shall  describe  some  of  the 
more  exciting  events  which  transpired ;  and  in  addition  to 
this,  also  detail  some  of  the  more  interesting  movements 
of  the  game  which  we  were  hunting. 

Having  sent  the  hounds  into  the  woods  one  cloudy 
morning  in  company  with  "Jim,"  who  on  this  day  acted  as 
our  starter,  I  left  the  camp  on  the  island  in  the  company 
of  the  faithful  "Tom,"  who  paddled  the  birch-bark  for  me, 
while  my  son  was,  as  usual,  in  the  canoe  with  the  captain. 
We  expected  the  deer  this  morning  would  take  to  the  water 
about  one  mile  from  our  camp,  and  consequendy  the 
canoes  were  directed  towards  this  point.  I  had  thrown  a 
troll  into  the  water  soon  after  leaving  camp,  in  order  to 
take  some  fish  before  the  deer  should  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance. We  listened  attentively  for  the  music  of  the 
hounds,  but  not  a  single  note  had  been  heard,  when  a 
slight  crackling  sound,  made  in  the  woods  near  the  shore 
of  the  lake,  attracted  my  attention.  "Tom"  had,  a  mo- 
ment previously,  raised  his  padd'e  from  the  water,  and  I 
had  already  commenced  to  reel  in  the  long  line  in  order 
that  I  might  be  better  prepared  for  the  arrival  of  the  ex- 
pected game. 

The  sounds  which  I  have  previously  mentioned  had  not 
been  heard  by  •'  Tom,"  and,  in  fact,  were  so  indistinctly  per- 
ceptible to  r.y  ear  as  to  call  forth  no  comment  from  me, 
although  my  eye  was  instinctively  fixed  on  that  portion  of 
the  shore  nearest  to  the  point  where  they  had  seemed  to 
originate.  Scarcely  had  one  minute  elapsed  since  I  had 
heard  the  crackling  sounds   in   the  woods  before  a  large 


iti: 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


257 


ap- 
the 


doe  made  her  appearance  on  the  shore  at  the  point  which 
I  was  then  watching.  She  did  not  break  cover  at  a  single 
bound,  as  is  sometimes  the  case  with  the  rr»embers  of  her 
family,  but  trotted  slowly  into  the  water,  and  showed,  at 
this  moment,  no  indications  of  fear  or  even  anxiety.  She 
had  entered  the  Inke  directly  in  iVont  of  our  canoe,  al- 
though possibly  about  r"-  hundred  yards  distant  from  us. 
The  course  at  first  tak  n  the  water  was  directly  towards 
us,  and  we  were  very  careful  to  make  no  movement  which 
might  attract  her  attention.  She  swam  out  into  the  lake 
about  eighty  yards,  apparently  entirely  uninfluenced  by 
any  sense  of  fear  or  danger;  but  now  began  to  sniff  the 
air,  move  her  ears  and  then  turn  her  head  in  various  direc- 
tions, evidently  endeavoring  to  sight  the  object  which  she 
had  already  scented.  During  this  perioa  she  made  very 
slow  progress  in  swimming,  although  still  coming  towards 
us,  but  at  a  very  slow  rate  of  speed ;  and  finally,  when 
about  one  hu.idred  yards  from  the  shore,  she  turned  up 
the  lake  and  continued  to  swim  at  about  the  same  dis- 
tance from  the  land.  She  had  now  headed  directly  towards 
the  captain's  canoe,  which  was  probably  two  thousand  yards 
distant  from  her.  She  still  condnued  to  turn  her  head 
occasionally  towards  our  cauoe, — evid  'ntly  expecting  that 
an  enemy  would  assail  her  from  that  direction.  Her  ner- 
vous movements  were  still  expressive  of  anxiety.  We 
had  hoped  that  she  would  leave  the  shore,  and  thus  afford 
us  an  opportunity  to  bring  our  canoe  between  her  and  the 
land;  but  her  movements  were  entirely  unfavf 'able  for  the 
accomplishment  of  this  object. 

The  captain  had  carefully  watched  her  from  '■he  moment 

17 


25S 


THFs  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


when  he  had  first  discovered  her  in  the  lake,  which  was 
only  a  few  moments  after  she  broke  cover,  He,  too, 
remained  inactive  for  a  while,  for  the  same  reasons  that 
had  prompted  us  to  this  course,  particularly  because,  the 
animal  was  so  near  to  the  shore  that  she  could  easily  put 
herself,  with  little  loss  of  time,  on  dry  land.  He  finally 
tired  of  this  mactivity  and  started  energetically  forward  in 
the  chase.  Both  "Tom"  and  myself  had  been  carefully 
watching  him,  and  consequently  recognized  the  first  stroke 
which  he  made  with  his  paddle.  The  scene  was  now  very 
interesting  and  highly  picturesque;  the  old  doe  was  likely 
to  be  surprised ;  ;;he  was  stiii  looking  for  an  enemy  to 
appear  from  the  lower  part  of  the  lake,  having  already 
scented  us,  while  the  captain  was  coming  down  on  her 
from  the  head  of  the  same  waters.  Behold  the  enemy ! 
There  they  come.  The  boy  sits  motionless  in  the  bow  of 
the  canoe ;  his  right  hand  rests  gently  on  the  breecli  uf  his 
gun;  the  captain  is  near  the  stern  of  the  frail  bark;  his 
strong  arm.s  work  vigorously  and  noiselessly  the  paddle. 
The  little  vessel  moves  rapidly  forward  in  a  straight  line, 
but  its  movements  are  noiseless  although  the  water  fairly 
boils  about  its  bow  and  stern.  They  are  now  within  five 
hundred  yards  of  the  prize ;  the  deer  is  still  swimming 
towards  them;  at  this  moment  "Tom"  placed  his  paddle 
in  the  water  and  entered  the  race.  A  few  minutes  later 
she  discovered  the  captain's  canoe  bearing  down  upon  her, 
and  promptly  turned  around  in  the  water  and  commenced 
a  desperate  effort  to  reach  the  nin-way  by  which  she  en- 
tered the  lake.  Behold  her  frantic  efforts!  She  is  mad- 
dened by  the  appearance  of   an  unexpected  enemy ;    she 


Hi: 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


259 


h  was 

2,   too, 

IS  that 

ISC  the 

iily  put 
finally 

vard  in 

irefully 

:  stroke 

)w  very 

Ls  likely 

lemy  to 

already 

on  her 

enemy ! 

bow  of 

:b  ul  his 

ark;  his 
padtlle. 
ght  line, 
ter  fairly 
thin  five 
wimming 
paddle 
tes  later 
ipon  her, 
Timenced 
she  en- 
is  mad- 
my ;    she 


struggles  desperately  in  the  water ;  raises  herself  high 
into  the  air  and  then  setdes  down  to  her  grandest  efforts 
in  swimming.  Both  canoes  are  rapidly  closing  in  upon 
her ;  she  has  discovered  the  danger  of  her  situation.  The 
captain's  canoe  is  now  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
frightened  deer;  but  "Tom"  is  still  more  than  four  hun- 
dred yards  away.  The  boy  has  raised  his  gun ;  is  taking 
aim.  Puff  goes  the  smoke  from  the  muzzle  of  his  fowling- 
piece  ;  the  charge  of  bucksho<;  passed  a  little  above  her 
head  and  she  is  unharmed.  The  boy  is  now  making  a 
desperate  effort  to  remove  the  empty  shell  from  his  single- 
barrel  breech-loading  gun.  The  captain  has  brought  the 
canoe  within  sixty  yards  of  the  old  doe.  Behold  them  ! 
He  has  dropped  the  paddle,  taken  the  gun  from  the  boy's 
hand,  and  is  now  endeavoring  to  remove  the  empty  shell, 
which  he  accomplished  after  the  loss  of  a  few  seconds  of 
valuable  time.  The  gun  is  then  handed  back  to  the  boy, 
after  having  been  reloaded,  but  the  distance  between  the 
floating  canoe  and  the  rapidly-swimming  deer  \\? ..  increased 
during  this  interval.  "Tom,"  on  the  contrary,  has  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  his  canoe  within  about  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  game ;  but  the  deer  is  now  almost  ready  to 
leap  on  the  shore.  I  have  seized  my  repeating  Winches- 
ter rifle  and  will  try  a  shot  at  the  escaping  animal.  Two 
shots  are  fired  in  rapid  succession :  one  before  she  had 
raised  from  the  water  and  the  other  just  as  she  leaped  on 
the  dry  land,  but  she  has  not  halted  at  my  command.  The 
captain  failed  to  bring  the  deer  within  the  range  of  the 
boy's  gun  after  it  was  reloaded.  Thus  ended  a  very  ex- 
citing chase. 


m-  i 


26o 


2 HE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


m 


'\-4 


J    1 


U 


ill 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

The  Continuance  of  the  Dker-Hunt — An   Exciting  Chase — Brilliant  Man- 

CEUVRING     OF     AN     OLD     BUCK — BREAKING     CAMP     ON     THE     ISLAND— A     PaR- 

tridge-Hunt  hy  the  Roadside— An  Exciting  Race  between  "Jim"  and 
the  Old  Cocker  Spaniel — Our  Return  to  Maganetawan — The  Trip 
FROM  Maganetawan  to  T(jronto. 

HE  details  of  the  morning  hunt  have  al- 
ready been  given,  but  there  still  remains 
to   be    describe  aore    exciting  chase, 

which  occurred  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
same  day.  The  morning  of  this  day  was 
cloudy,  but  the  evening  was  cool  and 
cloudless,  while  the  sun  shone  out  brightly. 
It  was  therefore  determined  soon  after  the  mid-day  meal 
that  "Jim"  should  go  again  into  the  woods  with  the  hounds 
and  try  to  send  us  a  deer.  In  accordance  with  this  deter- 
mination he  was  promptly  moving  away  from  our  camp 
with  the  hounds  in  the  canoe. 

The  other  canoes  followed  him  after  a  delay  of  about 
half  an  hour.  The  captain  was  again  in  the  company  of 
my  son,  while  I  was  attended  by  "Tom,"  as  in  the  morn- 
ing. We  expected  the  deer  would  come  to  the  lake  by 
the  same  run-way  as  was  chosen  by  the  old  doe  in  the 
morning.  The  captain,  however,  stationed  "Tom's"  canoe 
about  one  mile  from  the  point  where  the  aoc  c:it  ed  the 
water.  He,  however,  selected  an  acivan.ciji.eous  ^ojition 
for   himself  and    the    lad,  which  vas  murr  iV^a    •.*  \j  this 


■  '^*rm'"     -~-.-^|— . 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


261 


point.  The  afternoon  dragged  slowly  away  without  the 
occurrence  of  any  exciting  event  until  after  four  o'clock. 
The  waters  of  the  lake  were  motionless ;  scarcely  moved 
by  a  single  ripple.  The  watch  for  the  appearance  of  tlie 
deer  was  constant  and  faithful,  and  not  limited  to  the  par- 
ticular point  at  which  he  was  expected  to  make  his  appear- 
ance. We  were  somewhat  discouraged  by  the  non-arrival 
of  the  expected  visitor,  wlien  we  discovered  that  the  cap- 
tain had  sighted  game  and  was  already  in  motion.  Our 
canoe  was  quickly  brought  into  motion  and  headed  in  the 
direction  indicated  by  the  captain's  movements,  although 
he  is  more  than  half  a  mile  away  from  us.  We  are 
thoroughly  satisfied  that  the  deer  is  visible  to  him,  since 
he  never  paddles  with  so  much  energy  and  skill  except 
when  actually  engaged  in  the  chase.  We  are  rapidly  ap- 
proaching each  other,  and  now  catch  our  first  glimpse  of 
the  deer's  head,  which,  in  the  distance,  appeared  not  larger 
than  a  small  duck  resting  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 
The  captain  is  much  nearer  to  the  game  than  we  are  at 
this  moment.  "Tom"  is  working  the  paddle  as  though 
his  life  depended  on  his  individual  exertion.  The  cap- 
tain's canoe  shoots  through  the  water  like  a  thing  of  life. 
It  is  a  grand  sight,  worthy  the  brush  of  an  artist.  On- 
ward, still  onward,  over  the  silvery  waters  of  the  lake 
rushed  our  canoes  towards  the  living  goal  which  was  yet 
unconscious  of  the  danger.  It  was  a  long  and  hard  pull 
for  those  who  held  the  paddles,  but  we  gained  rapidly  on 
the  leisurely-swimming  deer.  The  captain  had  succeeded 
in  bringing  his  canoe  within  a  few  hundred  yards  of  the 
animal    before    he  was    discovered,  but  unfortunately   she 


i|. 


IRT  • 


3i 


r.  ■"* 


W>  .       i 


Phuj 


I      I 

!   i 


I,    tJ 


'(I-      ' 


i     " 


t 
i        "1 


262 


7:^^  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


was  at  this  moment  only  a  short  distance  from  the  shore. 
Instantly  her  head  was  turned  cowards  the  land,  and  here 
followed  the  desperate  efforts  to  make  her  escape,  but  it 
is  an  old  story  and  I  shall  not  now  repeat  it.  The  captain 
redoubled  his  efforts  with  the  paddle,  and  "Tom"  followed 
his  example.  The  deer  having  reached  a  spot  where  she 
was  not  more  than  forty  yards  from  the  dry  land,  the 
captain  quickly  dropped  the  paddle  and  seized  a  Win- 
chester repeating-rifle,  which  was  lying  in  the  bottom  of 
his  canoe,  and  l."^gan  a  lively  fusillade,  which  was  directed 
at  the  poor  animal's  head,  although  he  was  at  this  moment 
about  three  hundred  yards  from  the  object  which  he  sought 
to  pierce  with  the  leaden  bullet.  "Tom"  now  brought  our 
canoe  within  a  range  of  about  five  hundred  yards,  when  I 
raised  my  rifle  and  joined  in  the  music.  "  Tom"  continued 
to  push  forward  his  little  bark  without  the  slightest  in- 
terruption, while  the  captain  was  floating  slowly  forward. 
Bang !  bang !  bang !  go  the  rifles ;  the  balls  are  skipping 
over  the  water  in  close  proximity  to  the  exposed  head, 
while  the  animal  is  making  the  most  frantic  efforts  to 
escape.  She  is  now  almost  ready  to  leap  from  the  water, 
but  the  captain  is  waiting  for  the  favorable  moment  to  send 
a  bullet  into  her  body.  She  has  risen,  when  the  crack  of 
the  captain's  rifle  is  heard,  and  she  falls  back  into  the  water 
again.  Is  she  dead  ?  No.  In  another  instant  she  is  again 
on  her  feet,  and  after  taking  three  bounds  she  is  covered 
by  the  friendly  darkness  of  the  forest.  We  now  pushed 
forward  to  the  spot  where  she  had  left  the  lake.  Here  we 
beheld  her  blood  mingling  with  the  water,  and  this  confirmed 
the  opinion  which  we  had  previously  formed,  that  she  had 


-...,-.         — .^ ,.. 


■ .,  ■ —.^^^^jp. .  „     ^ 


OA',   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


265 


been  wounded.  "Jim"  was  now  seen  to  be  approaching 
us  with  the  hounds  in  his  canoe.  We  beckoned  to  him  to 
hurry  forward  with  the  dogs.  He  could  not  hear  us  and  did 
not  understand  our  signals.  "  Tom"  pointed  his  canoe  to- 
wards that  in  which  "  Jim"  was  seated  and  then  paddled  away 
with  all  his  might.  "Jim"  now  began  to  comprehend  what 
was  wanted  at  this  moment.  He  therefore  redoubled  the 
speed  of  his  vessel.  We  were  soon  enabled  by  loud  shout- 
ing to  make  him  understand  that  we  had  wounded  the 
deer  and  desired  to  put  the  hounds  on  her  trail.  He  was 
deeply  interested,  and  promptly  entered  heartily  into  the 
work.  The  hounds  were  brought  to  the  spot  where  the 
deer  left  the  water.  Thev  bounded  excifedly  from  the 
canoe  and  entered  the  forest  with  ringing  voices,  I  had 
«^z  /',  previously,  heard  so  luch  noise  made  in  the  same 
limited  time  by  two  dogs.  I  remarked  to  the  captain, 
*'  Your  dogs  are  not  mt  rely  giving  tongue,  but  they  are 
fairiy  yelling  T  and  he  replied,  "  They  are  almost  mad- 
dened by  the  smell  of  blood."  Their  entrance  into  the 
forest  was  followed  within  a  few  minutes  by  a  loud  crack- 
ling in  the  brush,  which  convinced  us  that  they  were  «il» 
jrady  close  upon  tlx  wounded  animal.  A  few  seconds 
later  the  poor  deer  rushed  frantically  from  the  wooccS  and 
leaped  into  the  lake,  but  she  still  apjxirently  remembered 
that  on  the  water  there  was  yet  a  merciless  enemy,  since 
she  contented  herself  by  swimming  a  narrow  bay  and  then 
again  disappeared  in  the  dark  woods. 

She  had  thus  cunningly  attempted  to  throw  the  hounds 
off  her  scent,  while  at  the  same  time  she  most  adroitly 
avoided  a  contact  with  us.     Darkness  was  already  gather- 


<_     1. 


hii( 


t 


364 


TJIE  SPORTSMAN'S   PARADISE. 


ing  about  us,  but  the  end  had  not  yet  been  reached.  The 
passage  of  the  deer  across  this  bay  had  been  observed  by 
our  party,  but  we  were  too  far  away  to  offer  any  protest 
to  this  procedure.  A  ^&vf  seconds  later  the  hounds  made 
their  appearance  on  the  shore  where  she  had  entered  the 
bay.  One  immediately  entered  the  water  and  swam  across, 
apparendy  in  the  wake  left  behind  the  poor  fugitive,  while 
the  other  ran  the  shore.  During  this  last  performance  the 
hounds  gave  no  music,  and  their  silence  was  almost  pain- 
ful to  us ;  but  the  moment  they  started  off  on  the  trail 
which  she  had  made  when  she  left  the  bay,  they  again 
yelled  with  all  their  might. 

The  captain  at  this  moment  promptly  turned  the  bow 
of  his  canoe  towards  the  head  of  the  lake,  saying,  "  She 
must  take  to  the  water  again ;  she  cannot  live  in  the 
woods."  The  other  canoes  followed  slowly,  while  we  lis- 
tened attentively  to  the  sounds  uttered  by  the  hounds. 
Thus  we  were  convinced  that  the  poor  deer  was  painfully 
conscious  of  her  own  weakness,  and  therefore  kept  close 
to  tlie  lake  that  she  might  in  an  emergency  leap  into  the 
water  and  thus  escape  from  the  hounds.  The  objective- 
point  for  which  the  captain  had  started  waH  situated  more 
than  a  mile  fram  the  lay  which  tln'  wounded  deer  had 
crossed.  The  h©undh5  foJWwed  her  dosely  to  this  jiorlinn 
of  thf  lake,  and  then  their  voices  were  suddenly  silenced. 
The  question  was  then  quickly  asked  by  on(i  of  our  party, 
**What  has  happened?"  and  the  ft"H|Minsr  was  immediately 
given  by  both  th'-  other  members,  "  riie  deer  has  taken  to 
the  water  and  is  again  swimming." 

We  then  listened  attentively  for  another  report  in  this 


"  We  found  them  standing  on  the  dry  ground,  while  the  doe  was  lying  at  their 
feet  and  the  hounds  were  fawning  about  then.  ' 


266 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


I : 


!,.;; 


>    .  1  I  ■' 


i!;,  -H 


■I 


i;    »■ 


..:  'i! 


■  ill 


case,  which  camo  to  us  after  the  lapse  of  about  fifteen 
minutes.  It  was  made  by  the  firing  of  two  shots  from  the 
fowling-piece.  "Jim"  now  quickly  remarked,  "The  boy 
has  now  taken  a  hand  in  this  sport ;  the  deer  is  dead,  and 
that  report  was  not  made  by  the  rifle."  We  pulled  away 
for  the  upper  part  of  the  lake,  which  was  reached  in  due 
time,  and  here  we  found  the  captain,  who  had  verified  the 
correctnc.is  of  his  prediction.  The  deer  had  been  com- 
pelled by  the  hounds  to  take  to  the  water  again,  and  was 
killed  by  the  boy  while  swimming.  The  same  thing  had 
happened  here  as  in  the  lower  portion  of  the  lake.  One 
of  the  hounds  had  followed  her  into  the  water,  while  the 
other  remained  behind  on  the  shore.  The  first  shot  fired 
by  the  lad  missed  her  head  in  the  partial  darkness  of  the 
evening,  but  the  second  had  killed  her.  Beforf;  we  reached 
the  captain  and  the  boy  they  had  towed  her  ashore,  and 
we  found  them  standing  on  the  dry  ground,  while  the  doe 
was  lying  at  their  feet  and  the  hounds  were  fawning  about 
them. 

We  discovered  at  this  time  that  the  animal  had  been 
struck  by  the  rifle-ball  In  the  right  thigh,  making  a  com- 
pound fracture  of  the  femur,  consequently  she  had  been 
compelled  to  make  the  last  run  on  three  legs.  The  whole 
number  of  shots  fired  at  her  were  probably  about  twenty. 
The  chase  was  one  of  the  most  exciting  that  I  have  ever 
participated  in,  but  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  in  the 
first  encounter  all  the  shots  were  fired  ^Vom  a  long  range. 

Daylight  having  disappeared,  we  were  consequently 
prompted  to  return  to  our  camp.  The  deer  was,  therefore, 
placed   in   one  of  our  canoes,  and  the  hounds  invited  to 


mm 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA.  267 

share  with  us  a  place  in  our  little  barks,  and  we  were  off 
to  our  tents. 

The  reader's  attention  has  been  directed  to  the  wonder- 
ful manifestation  of  intelligence  or  instinct  on  the  p.iri  of 
this  doe,  which  had  just  been  killed,  when  she,  in  ihe  one 
instance,  took  to  the  water  in  order  to  throw  the  hounds 
off  her  trail,  and  then  very  promptly  returned  to  the  woods 


"Tf! 

I 


f"-V!»/i> 


'Wnv,' 


"im 


-o 


The  dead  doe. 


for  the  purpose  of  avoiding  a  second  encounter  with  an 
enemy  more  dreadful  than  the  dogs.  Later  on  we  find  her 
keeping  close  to  the  lake-shore,  in  order  that  she  might  be 
thus  enabled  to  baffle  the  hounds  once  more  if  the  neces- 
sity should  arise. 

A  few  days  after  the  occurrences  that  we  have  just  re- 
corded an  opportunity  was  again  given  us  to  study  some 
very  fine  manoeuvring  on  the  part  of  an  old  buck,  in  order 
to  throw  the  keen-scented  ho.mds  off  his  trail.  This  game 
was  so  well  played  that  it  cannot  fail  to  interest  those  who 
read  it.  The  hounds  had  been  taken  into  the  woods  on 
this  occasion  by  the  faithful  "Tom,"  and  nearly  two  hours 
had  elapsed  before  we  heard  their  baying,  which  was  as 
yet  rather  indistinct. 


V^, 


.0.^,  ^'e 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


I.C 


I.I 


^    12.2 


■  2.5 


^  U&    12.0 


18 


m  III  u  1116 


6"     


^■. 


Hiotographic 
_,Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WfcSt  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  M580 

1716)  872-450t 


^ 


V 


^\^^ 


\\ 


''^VV^i/ni^ 


'O'"  -  ""^.-^ 


'•E^'^.  ^' 


ii' 


f/. 


^ 


268 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


t'»1 


Knowing  full  well  that  the  game  was  now  in  motion, 
"Jim"  promptly  passed  from  the  shore  on  which  he  war 
standing  to  his  canoe,  which  was  at  this  moment  resting 
lightly  on  the  water  near  him.  The  example  of  my  guide 
was  quickly  followed  by  me,  and  the  little  bark  was  promptly 
brought  out  into  the  lake,  which  gave  u.>  a  broader  view 
of  our  surroundings.  The  baying  of  the  hounds  was 
occasionally  lost  to  us-  but  after  the  lapse  of  a  longer  or 
shorter  interval  these  sounds  were  again  audible.  It  was 
very  evident  to  our  minds  that  the  deer,  when  first  started 
by  the  hounds,  had  not  m.oved  off  in  a  direct  line  for  the 
water,  but  had  circled  about  in  the  woods;  therefore  "Jim" 
concluded,  thus  early  in  th^  chase,  that  our  hounds  were 
running  a  strong  buck. 

The  opinion  here  expressed  is  based  on  observation, 
and  is  supposed  to  have  its  origin  in  the  greater  strength 
and  superior  confidence  possessed  by  these  males,  since 
the  females  and  fawns,  when  started  by  hounds,  run  imme- 
diately to  the  water;  in  which,  by  swimming,  they  can 
easily  distance  their  tormentors, — where,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  they  rarely  attempt  to  follow  them. 

Having  gained  a  position  on  the  lake  which  enabled  us 
to  examine  the  various  objects  along  the  shore  for  a  con- 
siderable distance,  we  soon  discovered  a  large  bi  ck,  which 
was  walking  in  the  water  at  this  time,  and  occasionally 
stopping  to  listen  to  the  hounds.  These  animals  were 
nov/  rapidly  approaching  the  lake,  and  every  moment  ren- 
dered their  voices  more  distinct  to  us.  The  old  buck  did 
not  seem  to  be  particularly  anxious  for  his  own  safety,  but 
was,  nevertheless,  moving  very  cautiously  in  order  to  throw 


11:' 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


269 


the  hounds  rff  his  trail.  He  remained  in  the  water  con- 
tinuously, either  walking,  trotting,  or  swimming,  except 
when  brought  in  contact  with  a  point  of  land  extending 
out  into  the  lake  a  considerable  distance,  when  he  would 
boldly  leave  the  water,  cross  the  point,  and  again  resume 
his  peregrinations  along  the  shore.  In  this  manner  the 
shrewd  animal  traversed  more  than  a  mile  along  the  lake- 
shore,  while  we  were  following  in  our  canoe  behind  him. 
He  finally  passed  from  the  range  of  our  vision  for  a  brief 
period,  and  when  next  discovered  by  us  had  taken  to  the 
deep  waters  of  the  lake,  and  was  at  this  moment  swim- 
ming directly  towards  us,  with  the  apparent  intention  of 
returning  to  his  forest  home  by  the  same  run-way  by  which 
he  had  left  it.  The  hounds,  in  the  mean  while,  had  reached 
the  lake,  and  were  now  following  slowly  along  the  shore. 
They  had  already  ceased  to  give  tongue  and  were  appar- 
ently discouraged  and  despoiident. 

I  had  never  previously  witnessed,  on  the  part  of  a  deer, 
so  much  coolness  and  intelligent  manoeuvring  as  had  taken 
place  in  this  case.  Every  movement  by  this  animal  had 
been  characterized  by  caution  and  intelligence.  He  was 
evidently  on  the  alert,  as  was  shown  by  the  various  attitudes 
which  he  assumr?d  and  the  movements  which  he  made.  It 
seemed  to  us  that  he  haH  a  fixed  plan  which  he  was  en- 
deavoring to  execute ;  and  the  plan  itself  spoke  well  for 
his  intelligence ;  but  cfur  presence  on  the  lake,  where  we 
had  not  yet  been  observed  by  him,  was  the  sole  cause  of 
its  failure  and  his  misfortune.  Having  discovered  him 
well  out  in  the  lake  and  swimming  directly  towards  us,  we 
immediately  placed  our  canoe  partially  behind  an  island. 


I 


1 1 


\  '■ 


11 


m 


270 


TIfE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


W 


!  ■■.'*( 


near  which  it  was  lying  at  the  moment  of  the  discovery, 
assuming  such  a  position  tliat  we  could  continue  to  watch 
the  approaching  animal,  while  we  were,  at  the  same  time, 
unobserved.  Onward  he  came,  while  his  large  antlers 
were  visible  in  the  bright  sunlight,  as  well  as  his  head  and 
his  large,  shapely  neck.  Patiently  we  waited  for  the  arri- 
val of  the  moment  when  we  should  start  boldly  in  the 
chase  for  him,  when  he  should  have  passed  so  far  from 
the  land  that  we  could  be  assured  of  overtaking  him 
before  he  could  reach  the  cover  of  the  woods.  The 
proper  moment  having  arrived  the  canoe  darted  rapidly 
from  its  cover,  driven  forward  by  two  paddles,  while  the 
water  fairly  boiled  about  its  bow.  The  author  was  now 
aiding  the  guide  in  hastening  forward  the  little  bark. 

The  old  buck  had  not  yet  discovered  us,  and  was,  there- 
fore, swimming  direcdy  forward,  as  if  he  even  desired  the 
{  meeting;  but  be  assured,  my  reader,  that  the  moment  he 
either  sights  or  scents  us  he  will  make  a  change  in  his 
course  and  greatly  accelerate  his  speed.  On,  onward  we 
sped!  On,  onward  he  came!  Two  thousand  yards  now 
separated  us,  but  we  were  discovered !  He  had  dropped 
his  ears,  turned  his  head,  and  was  now  bounding  through 
the  water  towards  the  nearest  land,  but,  alas.  It  was  too  late ! 
The  victory  was  ours !  The  poor  animal  had  been  fairly 
ambushed  !  The  question  uppermost  in  my  mind  at  this 
moment  is.  Do  animals  reason  ?  In  the  case  of  this  deer 
it  seems  impossible  to  reconcile  his  varied  movements  con- 
sistently with  the  belief  that  instinct  instead  of  a  reasoning 
faculty  controlled  his  action.  It  was  observed  that  he  lis- 
tened attentively  to  the  baying  of  the  hounds,  and  that  his 


^:      1 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


271 


course  and  movements  appeared  to  be  based  on  the  in- 
form-ition  thus  conveyed  to  him.  Another  observation  was 
made  during  this  hunt  bearing  on  the  acuteness  of  the 
sense  of  smell  in  the  red  deer,  which  is  regarded  as  worthy 
of  a  brief  report  in  this  little  work.  The  hounds  had  been 
taken  into  the  woods  for  the  purpose  of  driving  deer  into 
the  lake,  while  "Jim"  and  myself  were  keeping  a  watch  on 
one  of  the  many  islands  of  this  beautiful  sheet  of  water. 
This  island  was  situated  about  three  hundred  yards  from 
the  mainland,  where  it  was  thought  the  deer  might  enter. 
We  had  continuf:d  to  watch  about  three  hours,  when  I  dis- 
covered a  buck  walk  leisurely  out  of  the  woods  and  un- 
concernedly pass  down  a  sloping  rock  to  the  water,  which 
he  entered  unhesitatingly  and  without  causing  any  noise 
that  was  perceptible  at  our  stand.  We  had  not  heard  the 
hounds  at  any  time  during  the  morning  prior  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  this  deer,  and  their  cry  was  not  audible  to 
us  even  at  this  moment.  The  deer,  immediately  after 
entering  the  water,  began  to  swim  direcdy  towards  us. 
We  were  at  this  moment  seated  in  our  birch-bark  canoe, 
and  remained  completely  immovable  and  cautiously  ob- 
served the  approaching  animal.  He  had  not  placed  more 
than  eighty  yards  between  himself  and  the  point  at  which 
he  had  entered  the  lake  when  he  began  to  exhibit  signs 
of  alarm  by  moving  his  ears,  snuffing  in  air,  and  turning 
his  head  in  different  directions,  evidently  for  the  purpose 
of  sighting  the  object  which  he  had  already  discovered  by 
the  sense  of  smell.  In  this  effort  he  was  certainly  unsuc- 
cessful, since  he  did  not  immediately  turn  towards  the 
mainland,  but  began  to  swim  away  from  us  in  a  line  par- 


\  i 


>i  i\ 


^ip 


m 


2/2 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE,- 


h;  Ml 


fi 


allel  with  the  shore  of  the  island  on  v.'hich  we  still  re- 
mained unseen  by  him.  The  course  taken  by  this  animal 
was  that  which,  with  the  prevailing  wind,  would  carry  him 
most  promptly  beyond  the  limits  of  the  scent  which  un- 
questionably pertained  to  us,  although  it  was  not  such  as 
to  give  him  the  highest  degree  of  security  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  his  action  at 
this  time  was  entirely  controlled  by  the  sense  of  smell,  and 
it  is,  likewise,  an  additional  argument  in  favor  of  the  pos- 
session of  rational  faculties. 

The  deer-hunt  on  the  Lake  of  Many  Islands  having 
been  completed,  it  now  remained  for  us  to  commence  the 
homeward  journey.  An  arrangement  had  already  been 
made  with  the  owner  of  the  team  that  had  brought  us  into 
the  woods  to  return  to  the  place  and  take  out  our  baggage 
on  the  following  day.  My  son  was  not  yet  satisfied  with 
the  opportunity  which  had  been  given  him  to  shoot  ruffed 
grouse,  and  therefore  it  was  settled  that  the  lad  should  have 
an  extra  day  for  this  sport 

We  were  now  about  fifteen  miles  from  Maganetawan 
village,  and  a  little  more  than  four  miles  from  the  Nip- 
issing  and  Maganetawan  road.  It  was  therefore  decided 
that  "Jim,"  in  company  with  myself  and  son,  should  leave 
our  camp  on  the  island  the  day  before  the  team  was  ex- 
pected to  make  its  arrival.  In  accordance  with  this  deter- 
mination we  took  our  departure  about  three  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.  "  Tom"  followed  with  a  pack,  consisting  of  our 
tent,  blankets,  and  provisions,  about  an  hour  later.  We 
were  accompanied  by  a  cocker-spaniel  and  a  small  mongrel 
dog  which  had  been  previously  borrowed  from  a  settler  in 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA.  27 ^ 

this  region,  for  tiie  purpose  of  aiding  in  our  search  for 
grouse.  The  morning  had  been  rainy,  and  consequently 
the  trees,  which  were  yet  covered  with  a  heavy  fohage, 
were  still  loaded  with  water,  and,  as  if  to  add  to  this  im- 
favorable  condition,  there  were  several  light  showers 
during  the  afternoon  before  we  reached  our  destination, 
which  was  the  Nipissing  and  Maganetawan  road.  Owing 
to  the  unfavorable  condition  of  the  forest  there  was  no 
effort  made  by  us  to  procure  game  during  the  afternoon. 

This  tramp  was  a  rather  dull  affair,  owing  to  the  circum- 
stances surrounding  us,  but  the  road  was  reached  in  due 
time.     "Tom"   came   up  with    the    pack    soon    after    our 
arrival,  and   our  attention  was   immediately  given  to  the 
erection  of  the  tent  and  other  preparations  for  the  night. 
Scarcely  had  these  preparations  been   completed  when  a 
heavy  rain   set  in,  which  continued  until  daylight  the  fol- 
lowing  morning.     "Jim"  prepared  the  breakfast,  and  we 
were  ready  to  start  on  our  tramp  about  seven  o'clock  in 
the   morning.      The    woods    were   very   wet,    and    conse- 
quently we  had  no  intention  of  leaving  the  road  unless 
seduced  into  such  action  by  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  which 
informed  us  of   the  close   proximity  to  us  of   the  ruffed 
grouse.       Having  completed  our   arrangements  we  were 
off,  leaving   the   tent   standing  where   it  was  erected  the 
previous  evening,  on  the  roadside,  while  the  baggage  had 
been  carefully  stowed  away  under  it.     It  had  been  pre- 
viously arranged  with  the  captain  that  he  should  superin- 
tend the  gathering  up  of  the  luggage  and  its  transporta- 
tion to  Maganetawan. 

The  morning  of  this  start  had  been  cloudy  and  threat- 

18 


I" 


Yir    ' 


m 
W 


( 


274 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


ened  rain  at  the  moment  of  our  departure,  and  conse- 
quently we  strapped  up  our  waterproofs  and  carried  them 
with  us.  We  had  not  tramped  more  than  a  half-mile  when 
the  earnest  barking  of  the  dogs  a  few  rods  from  the  road 
proclaimed  to  us  that  they  had  found  a  partridge.  "Jim" 
was  eager  for  sport,  and  therefore  disregarded  the  pros- 
pect of  receiving  a  shower-bath ;  rushed  rapidly  from  the 
road  to  the  woods,  where  we  soon  heard  him  shouting  to 
the  lad  to  "  come  and  kill  the  bird."  The  boy  was  off  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  perfecdy  willing  to  take  a  cold 
shower-bath  if  he  could  kill  a  single  partridge. 

I  was  surprised  that  "Jim"  should  have  shown  so  much 
anxiety  in  regard  to  the  lad's  shooting  in  this  particular 
case ;  but  I  subsequently  learned  that  he  was  unable  to 
work  his  gun,  owing  to  the  fact  that  his  cartridges  had 
been  thoroughly  saturated  v^rith  water.  The  boy's  arrival 
on  the  ground  was  a  little  too  late,  since  the  bird  had 
shifted  its  position  and  they  were  unable  to  find  it  after- 
wards, although  they  spent  fully  twenty  minutes  in  the 
search,  and  finally  returned  from  the  swamp  as  wet  as 
drowned  rats. 

"Jim's"  manner  indicated  that  he  was  much  chagrined 
by  the  failure,  but  by  philosophically  reasoning  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  convincing  himself  of  the  wisdom  of  his  action, 
and  boldly  asserted  that  "  I  shall  no  longer  dread  to  enter 
the  swamp,  since  I  care  nothing  for  either  mud  or  water." 
We  now  journeyed  on,  and  were  very  soon  informed  by 
our  dogs  that  they  had  found  another  partridge  in  the 
swamp,  not  more  than  ten  rods  from  the  road  on  which  we 
were  tramping.    "Jim"  instandy  sprung  into  the  woods  and 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


275 


Is  a 


nd 


"was  quickly  lost  to  sight ;  although  within  five  minutes  he 
reported  progress  by  firing  his  shot-gun,  and  instantly 
shouted,  "I  have  him  this  time!"  while  a  few  minutes  later 
he  returned  to  the  road  holding  up  for  our  inspection  a 
large  cock  bird  which  he  had  killed  at  the  first  shot,  while 
the  bird  was  quietly  setding  on  the  branch  of  a  small  ever- 
green-tree. 

The  clouds  have  begun  to  disappear,  the  bright  rays 
■of  sunshine  are  now  lighting  up  our  pathway,  while  the 
gende  zephyrs  are  moving  the  foliage  of  the  forest- trees. 
The  prospects  of  a  fine  day's  sport  are  brightening  at  this 
moment.  "Jim"  exclaims,  "We  will  have  a  good  day  of  it 
yet !"  while  at  the  same  time  a  partridge  rises  at  the  road- 
side,— an  event  which  is  announced  to  us  by  the  barking 
of  the  cocker-spaniel.  This  dog  had  taken  his  posidon  at 
the  foot  of  a  small  tree,  the  branches  of  which  even  over- 
hung the  road-way,  and  here  continued  to  bark  lustily, 
thus  keeping  the  attention  of  the  bird  until  the  lad  sent 
tip  his  compliments,  which  she  promptly  acknowledged  by 
tumbling  to  the  ground. 

The  killing  of  this  bird  gave  rise  to  a  highly  ludicrous 
scene,  which  I  fully  appreciated  at  the  time,  and  v/hich  I 
can  never  readily  forget.  "Jim"  had  previously  told  me 
that  the  old  cocker-spaniel  had  a  very  bad  habit,  and  would 
"  mouth''  the  birds  whenever  he  could  get  hold  of  them,  while 
he  entirely  disregarded  the  order  to  "  bring  dead  bird." 
The  owner  of  this  dog  had,  likewise,  informed  me  that  the 
animal  had  never  received  any  training,  but  naturally 
hunted  very  well  and  was  a  good  "  treer."  The  instant 
the  lad  fired  at  this  bird  "Jim"  sprang  into  the  woods  with 


m 


276 


Tff£  SPORlSMAiV'S  PARADISE; 


11 


t"< 


pi. 


(■  , 


I     I 


the  alacrity  of  a  hound,  in  order  to  grab  the  fallinrr  par- 
tridge before  the  old  cocker  could  get  hold  of  him.  The 
old  cocker,  however,  succeeded  in  getting  the  best  of 
"Jim,"  grabbed  the  bird  in  his  mouth  and  started  off  at 
full  speed,  while  the  guide  followed  him  on  the  jump,  as  a 
fox-hound  might  follow  a  hare,  shouting  with  every  bound, 
''Stop!  stop!  drop  it !  drop  it !''  until  the  woods  became 
fairly  resonant  with  these  sounds.  A  few  seconds  later 
the  dog  emerged  from  the  woods,  still  clinging  to  the 
bird,  closely  followed  by  the  irate  guide,  who  still  yelled 
as  though  his  life  depended  on  this  effort.  Here  the  old 
dog  made  the  fatal  mistake  which  finally  cost  him  the  prize 
which  he  had  attempted  to  steal.  He  started  down  the 
road  as  rapidly  as  he  could  run,  but  "Jim"  steadily  gained 
on  him.  Jim  was  wearing  on  this  occasion  a  pair  of 
heavy  leather  brogans,  which  contained  in  the  soles  about 
fifty  steel  spikes.  These  shoes,  in  fact,  were  procured 
by  him  while  he  was  engaged  in  that  occupation  com- 
monly designated  as  ''river-driving^'  and  these  spikes 
were  intended  to  nail  him  firmly  to  the  floating  logs,  and 
thus  prevent  accident  or  injury  from  slipping.  The  road 
on  which  this  race  between  the  old  cocker  and  our  guide 
took  place  was  nearly  a  mass  of  rocks ;  generally  flat  on 
the  upper  surface,  which  formed  the  road-bed,  although 
they  possessed  many  irregularities  of  surface,  size,  etc. 
The  moment  the  guide  and  dog  emerged  from  the  woods 
and  started  off  on  this  road  they  were  in  full  view  of  both, 
my  son  and  myself.  The  sparks  eliminated  by  the  con- 
tact of  the  spikes  in  "Jim's"  brogans  with  the  rocks  in 
his  pathway  lighted  up  his  trail  and  added  gready  to  the 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA.  2^7 

ludicrousness  of  the  scene.     The  race  may  be  fairly  said 
to  have  been  nip  and  tuck,  but  the  guide  is  slowly  gain- 
ing on^  the  cocker.     They  had   run  about  ten  rods  when 
"Jim's"  brogans  were  in  close  proximity  to  the  old  dog's 
tail.     It  seemed  highly  probable  at  this  moment  that  the 
guide's  spiked  shoes  would  be   used  as  a  petard  for  the 
destruction    of   the    fugitive   thief,    but   no,  he   has    deter- 
mined  to   capture   him   alive!     Behold   them  at  this  mo- 
ment!     "Jim"  has  dropped  with  the  intention  of  seizing 
the  old  rascal  with  his  hands.     The  old  dog— as  if  antici- 
pating  this  movement— has  suddenly  jumped  to  one  side, 
and  instantly  turned  to  retrace  his  steps.     "Jim"   struck 
the  ground  with  a  heavy  thud,  but  was  neither  killed  nor 
severely  injured  by  this  manoeuvre.     The  dog,  however,  in 
the  mean  time,  has  been  rapidly  gaining  on  the  guide  and 
was  well  started  on  the  homew.;-d  stretch.    He  occasionally 
turned  his  head  in  order  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  his  pursuer, 
but  he  did  not  halt  nor  even  slacken  his  pace.     "Jim"  was 
soon  on  his  feet  again,  but  not  until  the  dog  had  secured  a 
good  start.     The  guide  was  maddened  by  failure,  and  re- 
sumed the  race  with  a  fierce  determination  to  win.     Every 
second  shortened  the  distance  between  the  contestants  when 
"Jim"  had  fairly  succeeded  in  getting  under  way.     The  old 
dog  seemed  to  fully  comprehend  the  gravity  of  the  situa- 
tion,   and   occasionally   turned    his   head    for   the   purpose 
of  discovering  and  estimating  his  danger.     He  had  passed 
safely  one-half  of  the  home-stretch,  but  was  at   this    mo- 
ment compelled  to  drop  the  bird  from  his  mouth.     "Jim" 
was  at  this    moment  close   upon  the  dog's  heels,  but   he 
heeded  not  the  dead  bird,  and  was  evidently  determined 


278 


THE  SP0R7'SMAN'S  PARADISE: 


M 


f   " 


to  piinisli  the  thief.  The  old  cocker  showed  at  this  time 
unmistakable  si^ns  of  exhaustion  and  fear,  and  was  un- 
questionably repentant.  "Jim's"  brogans  were  once  more 
at  the  dog's  caudal  extremity,  when  he  suddenly  dodged 
aside  and  endeavored  to  reach  the  cover  of  the  woods  ;  but 
he  was  too  completely  exhausted  to  accomplish  this  object. 
He  dropped  to  the  ground  and  looked  imploringly  into 
"Jim's"  eyes  for  mercy;  but  "Jim"  heeded  not  the  implor- 
ing looks  and  cringing  attitude  of  the  old  rascal.  He  had 
him  by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  and  promptly  administered 
the  well-merited  punishment.  The  old  aog  fairly  yelled 
with  pain,  and  "Jim"  yelled  back  to  him,  "Steal  the  boy's 
bird,  win  you  ?  I  ivill  teach  you  honesty.  I  will,  you  old 
rascal  r 

The  whole  scene  had  been  watched  by  the  boy  and 
myself.  The  comical  part  played  by  the  actors  can  be 
more  easily  imagined  than  described.  It  caused  peal  after 
peal  of  laughter  from  the  lad  and  myself.  The  boy  finally 
dropped  down  upon  the  ground  before  the  race  ended, 
having  been  so  convulsed  with  laughter  as  to  be  unable  to 
stand  erect,  while  I  only  remained  standing  until  the  race 
ended,  and  then  followed  my  son's  example.  "  Jim"  having 
administered  the  necessary  chastisement  to  the  dog,  like- 
wise sought  rest  on  the  bosom  of  mother-earth,  while  the 
old  cocker,  after  having  sulked  a  few  moments  in  the 
woods,  came  sneakingly  out  and  cautiously  approached 
the  contestant  in  the  race,  licked  affectionately  his  hand, 
and  then  looked  up  imploringly  into  his  eyes.  The  dog 
having  thus  humbly  acknowledged  the  justice  of  the  pun- 
ishment which  had  been  inflicted  upon  him,  was  then  freely 


-I;  )f 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS  OF  CANADA. 


279 


forgiven  by  "Jim,"  who  patted  him  affectionately  on  the 
head  and  back. 

Thus  there  was  perfect  harmony  between  the  jj^iilde  and 
the  spaniel.  The  dog  immediately  reclined  at  "Jim's"  side, 
placed  his  head  affectionately  on  his  piaster ;  having  as- 
sumed a  position  which  enabled  him  to  look  wistfully  into 
the  latter's  face.  Our  little  mongrel  dog  had  not  rf.mained 
entirely  inactive  during  these  exciting  events.  In  the  race 
he  participated,  although  falling  far  behind  both  actors; 
nevertheless  he  barked  and  wagged  his  tail  continuously, 
thus  showing  the  joy  and  interest  which  he  felt  in  this  part 
of  the  proceedings,  although  when  the  chastisement  com- 
menced he  drew  his  tail  between  his  legs,  suddenly  disap- 
peared in  the  woods,  0  ""d  only  reappeared  after  the  lapse  of 
an  hour.  This  halt  by  the  roadside  lasted  about  three- 
fourths  of  an  hour  and  then  we  started  forward  once  more. 
We  had  not  proceeded  more  than  half  a  mile  when  the 
spirited  barking  of  the  old  cocker-spaniel  announced  tliat 
he  had  found  another  partridge  only  a  few  rods  from  the 
road.  "Jim"  and  the  boy  started  off  for  this  game.  Five 
minutes  later  the  report  of  the  lad's  gun  proclaimed  the 
death  of  this  bird,  while  the  guide  and  my  son  soon  re- 
turned to  the  highway.  They  reported  that  the  old  dog 
had  made  no  attempt  on  this  occasion  to  secure  the  bird 
when  it  fell  to  the  ground,  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  had  not 
moved  from  where  he  was  standing,  and  allowed  the  guide 
to  approach  quietly  the  dead  bird  and  to  pocket  the  same. 
In  fact,  it  may  be  here  stated  that  we  had  no  further  trouble 
with  this  dog  during  the  remainder  of  the  hunt.  He  had 
previously  shown  much  affection  for  "  Jim ;"   but  after  the 


L'l.  .  I 


7  •<       ' 


[|;>i 


?   "1 
i'       »s 


280 


TJ/E  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


race  and  the  chastisement  which  he  received  he  was  cer- 
tainly doubly  affectionate  towards  his  master.  He  had 
always  hunted  faithfully  for  us,  but  during  the  balance  of 
the  day  he  seemed  to  be  more  than  usually  active  and 
found  many  birds  by  the  roadside. 

On  one  occasion  during  the  afternoon,  when  he  had 
been  absent  from  us  about  an  hour,  we  heard  him  barking 
sharply  a  comparatively  long  distance  from  the  road.  His 
earnest  bark  satisfied  us  beyond  a  doubt  that  he  had  found 
a  bird  and  desired  our  assistance. 

The  question  was  promptly  discussed  whether  we 
should  render  the  aid  which  he  now  sought.  The  bird 
was  nearly  a  half-mile  from  us :  vould  the  dog  be  able  to 
keep  the  attention  of  tl)p  partridge  until  one  of  our  party 
could  reach  the  spot  ?  This  seemed  rather  doubtful,  but 
"Jim"  was  anxious  to  make  the  atte.npt,  while  neither  my- 
self nor  my  son  desired  to  offer  any  objection.  He  there- 
fore started  off  with  a  lively  step  and  very  pleasant  an- 
ticipations. The  loud  barking  of  the  spaniel  continued 
without  any  interruption  until  the  death  of  the  bird  was 
announced  by  the  report  of  "Jim's"  fowling-piece.  During 
this  time  the  lad  and  mvself  patiendy  awaited  the  return 
of  "  Jim,"  but  he  was  absent  nearly  half  an  hour,  and  in 
the  mean  time  we  had  rested  by  the  roadside. 

The  dog  returned  with  his  master,  and  both  were  ap- 
parently wel!  pleased  with  the  result  of  their  labor.  The 
day's  sport  had  been  very  satisfactory.  The  boy  had  killed 
four  birds  and  '  Jim"  had  bagged  two.  This  result  had 
been  accomplished  without  leaving  the  road  for  any  con- 
siderable period  of  time,  except  in  the  case  which  has  just 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


281 


been  reported.  We  had  now  approached  within  two  miles 
of  the  village  of  Maganetawan.  The  most  of  the  land 
bordering  on  the  road  had  been  cleared,  was  now  culti- 
vafd,  and  consequently  we  did  not  expect  to  find  any 
more  birds,  unless  we  turned  aside  from  the  highway  and 
made  search  in  the  woods  bordering  on  the  fields.  This 
course  of  procedure  required  a  greater  efibrt  than  we  were 
now  inclined  to  make.  Consequently  we  continued  to  plod 
alor.g  the  road,  and  soon  arrived  at  the  Maganetawan 
Hotel,  where  we  were  once  more  kindly  met  by  the  pro- 
prietor. It  was  then  about  thrt  .  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
and  inasmuch  as  we  were  very  hungry,  having  had  no 
dinn'  chat  day,  our  genial  host  was  requested  to  prepare 
for  U3  a  hot  meal.  The  order  was  kindly  received  and 
promptly  executed,  while  the  charge  for  this  excellent  meal 
for  our  whole  party,  consisting  of  three  persons,  was  only 
seventy-five  cents. 

The  captain  and  "Tom"  arrived  about  three  hours 
later,  bringing  with  them  our  luggage  and  the  trophies  of 
the  hunt.  They  reported  that  the  wagon  which  we  had 
engaged  to  remove  our  luggage  from  camp  had  arrived 
at  the  lake-shore  on  time.  But  prior  to  its  arrival  the 
captain  had  disposed  of  the  venison  to  the  lumbermen  in 
the  vicinity,  who  were  engaged  In  making  roads,  building 
shanties,  and  opening  the  small  outlet  of  the  lake  in  order 
that  timber  cut  here  during  the  approaching  winter  and 
placed  on  the  ice  might  be  floated  away  in  the  spring.  He 
had  likewise  taken  down  the  guide's  tent,  which  was  stand- 
ing on  the  Island  at  the  time  of  our  departure,  and  gath- 
ered up  the  baggage  which  we  had  lef"  behind,  and  moved 


282 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


w 


the  same  with  our  canoes  to  the  shore,  where  it  was  ac- 
cessible to  the  approach  of  the  wagon.  Therefore  there 
had  been  no  important  delay  after  the  arrival  of  the  team 
at  the  lake.  The  homeward  journey  was  promptly  begun, 
and  the  tent  which  we  left  standing  by  the  roadside  in  the 
morning  was  gathered  up  by  them  when  they  reached  this 
point,  after  which  they  proceeded  onward  to  the  village  of 
Magaietawan. 

The  guides  remained  with  us  about  two  hours  after 
their  arrival,  and  assisted  us  in  repacking  our  baggage 
after  we  had  exchanged  our  hunting-suits  for  those  in 
which  we  were  to  travel.  It  may  be  here  added  for  the 
benefit  of  those  readers  who  are  unacquainted  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Maganetavvan,  that  it  was  found  impossible  to 
obtain  the  luxury  of  a  bath-tub,  and  it  was  only  after  a 
long  and  diligent  search  that  I  found  a  citizen  who  was 
willing  to  undertake  the  task  of  shaving  my  face,  since 
barbers  and  barber-shops  are  still  unknown  in  this  primi- 
tive settlement. 

Having  completed  the  arrangements  for  our  departure 
from  this  village  on  the  following  morning  at  an  early  hour, 
we  retired  to  our  room  for  sleep  at  about  ten  o'clock  in  the 
evening.  We  were  aroused  from  our  slumbers  by  a  hotel 
servant  about  three  o'clock  the  next  morning;  promptly 
donned  our  clothing  and  soon  appeared  at  the  foot  of  the 
stairs,  whe  e  we  met  the  man  who  had  called  us,  and  who 
then  infoi  .led  us  that  he  was  in  readiness  to  conduct  us 
to  the  steamboat  which  was  to  convey  us  to  Burk's  Falls. 
He  then  placed  our  baggage  on  an  ordinary  wheelbarrow, 
seized  the  handles,  and  moved  forwards  towards  the  steam- 


OR,  THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


283 


boat  wharf.  This  wharf  was  located  about  one-half  mile 
fiOm  the  hotel,  and  in  order  to  reach  it  we  were  compelled 
to  cross  the  fields,  where  we  encountered  many  obstacles, 
especially  mud  and  occasional  patches  of  ice. 

The  boat,  at  the  moment  of  our  arrival,  had  already 
gotten  up  steam,  and  moved  away  from  the  wharf  about 
fifteen  minutes  later.  She  was  ably  manned  by  the  captain 
and  his  jolly  crew,  which  consisted  of  a  single  individual, 
who  attended  to  all  the  duties  required  on  this  steamboat 
which  were  not  performed  by  the  captain.  My  son  and 
myself  were  the  only  passengers  in  the  cabin  of  the  boat 
this  morning,  although  she  could  have  carried  very  com- 
fortably about  eight  or  ten  persons. 

The  village  of  Burk's  Falls  is  situated  on  the  banks  of 
the  Maganetawan  River,  about  thirty-five  miles  above  the 
village  of  Maganetawan.  The  river  route  by  which  we 
were  now  travelling  was  very  enjoyable,  since  the  scenery 
is  very  picturesque.  The  whole  distance  is  traversed  in  the 
short  space  of  five  hours  under  favorable  circumstances. 
My  son,  after  entering  the  cabin  of  the  steamboat,  found 
his  surroundings  so  favorable  to  sleep  that  he  promptly 
entered  the  embrace  of  old  Morpheus,  and  continued  to 
enjoy  the  most  delightful  repose  until  we  had  arrived 
within  a  few  miles  of  the  end  of  our  journeying  by  water. 

Nine  o'clock  that  morning  found  us  seated  at  Burk's 
hotel  table  enjoying  a  good  breakfast,  having  been 
promptly  transported  by  an  open  passenger-wagon  to 
this  inn  immediately  after  the  arrival  of  the  steamboat. 
The  driver  of  the  wagon  patiently  waited  for  us  while  we 
breakfasted  and  then  drove  us  to  the  railroad  depot. 


284 


THE  SPORTSMAN'S  PARADISE; 


%^ 


IP.1 


I     ■ 


'III 


The  train  on  which  we  were  to  travel  to  Toronto  did 
not  arrive  promptly  that  morning,  and  consequently  we 
were  compelled  to  remain  at  this  station  about  an  hour. 
My  son  during  this  period  kept  a  close  watch  on  the 
market-basket  containing  the  ruffed  grouse,  which  he  was 
very  anxious  to  convey  to  his  mother  and  sister,  who  were 
now  stopping  at  the  Queen's  Hotel  in  Toronto,  where  we 
expected  to  arrive  about  eight  o'clock  that  evening.  The 
train  finally  arrived,  and  we  promptly  entered  the  cars, 
which  were  roughly  constructed  and  primitive  in  their  ap- 
pearance. There  were  on  the  train  at  the  time  about 
twenty  passengers.  The  greater  number  of  them  were 
pioneers  from  the  backwoods,  who  had  that  morning  left 
their  log  cabins  for  a  day's  recreation  in  travel  over  this 
newly-constructed  railroad,  the  completion  of  which  was 
expected  to  mark  a  new  era  of  prosperity  and  happiness 
in  their  lives.  Among  this  class  of  passengers  there  was 
one  who  was  especially  conspicuous.  He  was  evidently  a 
sturdy  son  of  toil,  and  had  spent  several  years  in  the  back- 
woods, although  a  Scotchman  by  birth  and  education,  who 
proclaimed  his  nativity  by  his  brogue,  features,  and  the 
dress  that  he  wore. 

The  appearance  of  the  man  indicated  that  he  had  al- 
ready passed  threescore  years  or  more.  He  carried  with 
him  on  this  occasion  his  bagpipes,  and  entertained  us  with 
his  choicest  music,  while  a  happy  smile  lighted  up  his 
wrinkled  face.  He  played  on  the  old  musical  instrument 
with  great  energy,  and  scarcely  halted  for  breath  so  long 
as  two  or  three  of  the  passengers  seemed  willing  to  give 
him  audience.     He  manifested  much  anxiety,  whenever  the 


1, 


OR,   THE  LAKE  LANDS   OF  CANADA. 


285 


train  halted  at  the  different  stations  along  the  route,  to  en- 
tertain with  his  musical  performances  all  the  persons  in  or 
about  the  cars.  At  such  times  he  took  great  pains  to  seat 
himself  in  such  a  position  that  all  who  heard  the  music 
might  at  the  same  time  behold  the  instrument  and  the  per- 
former. In  this  manner  the  old  Scotchman  labored  the 
whole  forenoon  for  the  entertainment  of  others,  neither 
asking  nor  receiving  a  single  penny  for  his  services ;  but 
the  manner  and  the  expressions  of  the  entertainer  indicated 
that  he  was  even  better  pleased  than  those  whom  he  had 
sought  to  entertain. 

This  train  dragged  along  slowly  during  the  forenoon, 
although  there  were  few  stopping-places,  since  we  were  pass- 
ing only  through  a  forest  or  very  sparsely-settled  country. 

During  the  afternoon  we  changed  to  another  train  and 
then  proceeded  rapidly  towards  Toronto,  where  we  arrived 
about  half-past  eight  in  the  evening.  We  had  anxiously 
looked  forward  during  the  whole  day  to  our  arrival  at  this 
point,  since  we  earnestly  desired  to  join  the  other  mem- 
bers of  our  family,  who  were  then  stopping  at  the  Queen's 
Hotel. 

The  lad  returned  to  his  mother  and  sister  greatly  elated 
by  his  success  in  hunting,  and  even  to  this  hour  he  regards 
the  time  thus  spent  as  the  happiest  period  of  his  life. 


.,.^*v^ 


That  retriever. 


IMK 


'i. 


INDEX. 


A  thunder-storm,  73. 

A  hard  bed,  73. 

A  shot  at  a  moose,  167. 

A  youthful  driver,  ?22. 

A  beaver-house  and  family,  136. 

A  hard  dinner,  bread  frozen,  231. 

An  exciting  chase,  144. 

An  old  Scotchman  and  his  bagpipe,  284. 

Animal  intelligence,  267. 

Anton  Miltenberger,  the  photographer,  8i. 

Baysville,  travelling  towards,  27. 

T^iysville,  departure  from,  28. 

Beaver  trysting-place,  115. 

Bess,  Mr.,  proprietor  of  the  stage  line,  97. 

Bear's  food-supply,  235. 

Bear,  path  of,  225. 

Bob  Noble,  a  guide,  69. 

Bob  Noble  in  a  sad  plight,  76. 

Boy,  killed  his  first  deer,  255. 

Boy's  first  deer-hunt,  253. 

Bracebridge  reached,  25. 

Break  camp  at  Long  Lake,  176. 

Bride,  personal  appearance  of,  91. 

Burk's  Falls,  departure  from,  118. 

Burk's  Falls,  village  of,  283. 

Buck,  manoeuvring  of,  268, 

Camp,  break  on  Long  Lake,  175. 

Camp  near  Spence,  105. 

Camped  on  trail  leading  from  Upper  Long 

Lake  to  Sugar-Bush  Lake,  178 
Camped  on  moose-trail,  196. 
Captain  Ross  "could  not  kill  moose  but 

did  kill  deer,"  204. 
Captain  Ross  angry  and  disappointed,  206. 
Captain  Ross  made  his  appearance,  109. 
Captain's  deer-dogs,  112. 
Captain  Ross  returned  to  the  party,  131. 


Captain  George  Ross,  chief  guide,  65. 
Captain  Ross  killed  the  bull  moose,  238. 
Canadian  custom-house  officer,  22. 
Canoes  leaking  badly,  28. 
Cabin,  Harkness's,  241. 
Cathedral,  St,  James',  a  magnificent  struc- 
ture, 61. 
Chase,  an  exciting,  144. 
Chase,  moose-,  excitement  of,  193. 
Chase  of  doe,  exciting,  256. 
Chase  of  doe,  doubly  exciting,  261. 
Chief  John  and  his  hound,  33. 
Chief  John  and  his  object,  36. 
Chief  John,  poor,  unhappy  man,  55. 
Chief  guide.  Captain  Ross,  65. 
"  Chris,"  our  old  friend,  99. 
Classification  of  hunters,  3. 
Crackers  and  cheese  were  obtained,  246. 

Departure  from  Burk's  Falls,  118. 
Departure  from  Sphynx  Falls,  125. 
Departure  from  Mossup's  Landing,  127. 
Departure  from  Lake  Rosseau,  102. 
Departure  from  Pickerel  Lake,  72. 
Departure  of  the  wedding  guests,  94. 
Departure  from  Baysville,  28. 
Deer-hunt,  started  on,  49. 
Deer,  first  killed,  52. 
Deer-hunt  on  Long  Lake,  141. 
Deer-  and  moose-hunt,  preparation  for,  So. 
Deer-hunt  with  villagers,  247. 
Deer-hunt,  the  boy's  first,  253. 
Deer,  the  first  killed  by  the  boy,  255. 
Description  of  the  wedding,  88. 
Discover}'  of  moose,  210. 
Disappointment  foreshadowed,  227. 
Doe,  exciting  chase,  256. 
Doe,  doubly  exciting  chase,  261. 
Dogs  are  fairly  yelling,  263, 

287 


288  INDEX. 


'!';  'f1 


IS 


^^i'i 


I';! 

r'i'.i 


w^ 


Dogs,  captain's,  deer,  II2. 

Dr.  Pokorney,  the  old  deer-hunter,  43. 

Dr.  Pokorney's  son,  57. 

Dryinjj  venison,  146. 

Drunken  orgie  of  luml)ermen,  62. 

Dream,  photographer's,  163. 

Esculapius  lost  his  patience,  28, 
Esculapius  and  Scribe  follow  John,  38. 
Esculapius,  a  description  of,  20. 
EsLuIapius,  smiling  and  happy,  32. 
Expert  fisherman,  the  Governor,  35. 
Exercise,  health-giving  power,  13. 
Exercise,  a  remedy  for  obesity,  8. 

Falls,  Burk's,  departure  from,  118. 

Falls,  Sphynx,  departure  from,  125. 

Fisherman,  expert,  the  Governor,  35. 

Fish,  Governor  off  for,  37. 

Fishing,  Governor  and  myself  went,  65. 

"Fire  at  him!"  212. 

Free  grant  lands,  85. 

George  set  fire  to  frying-pan,  66. 

George  Ross,  chief  guide,  65. 

Governor  starts  for  home,  68. 

Governor  remains  silent,  30. 

Governor  never  winced,  32. 

Governor  an  expert  fisherman,  35. 

Governor  off  for  fish,  37. 

Governor  arrived  in  front  of  cabin,  39. 

Governor  and  Esculapius  start  for  Watte's 

Creek,  42. 
Governor    and     Esculapius    return    from 

"Watte's  Creek,  46. 
Governor  and  myself  went  fishing,  65. 
Governor,  description  of,  20. 
Goldsmith  frightened,  17. 
Guides,  Indian,  habits  of,  23. 
Guides,  employed  at  Toronto,  24. 
Guide,  Wellington  Ross,  82. 

Hard  bed,  73. 

Hard  dinner,  bread  frozen,  23I. 

Hard  tramp,  245. 

Harkness's  cabin,  241. 

Health-giving  power  of  exercise,  13. 

Henry's  day  with  ruflfed  grouse,  273 


Home,  Governor  starts  for,  63. 

Hotel,  proprietor  of,  16. 

Hotel,  Pratt's,  63. 

Horka-Porka  portage,  crossing  of,  1 27. 

Hunt,  deer-,  on  Long  Lake,  141. 

Hunters,  classification  of,  3. 

Hunters,  how  they  spend  their  time,  4. 

Hunters,  true,  5. 

Hunting,  benefits  derived  from,  7. 

Hunting,  a  science  and  an  art,  7. 

Indian  guides,  habits  of,  23. 
Intelligence  of  animals,  267. 

Jim's  revelation,  35. 

Jim  and  the  old  cocker-spaniel,  275, 

Jim  goes  for  the  cocker  and  the  cocker  is 

flogged,  277. 
John  McCarthy,  a  gamin,  65. 
John's  inamorata,  37. 
John,  Chief,  object  of,  36. 
John,  Chief,  hound  of,  33. 
John  Royall,  good  services  of,  17. 

Labor  a  pleasure,  233. 

Lake  on  mountain-top,  139. 

Lake  Pickerel,  our  stay  at,  70. 

Lake  Pickerel,  departure  from,  72. 

Lake  Mud,  74. 

Lake  Loon,  camp  near,  74, 

Lake  Sand,  start  for,  77. 

Lake  Rosseau,  romantic  wedding  on,  tj6. 

Lake  Sugar-Bush,  return  to,  220. 

Lake  of  Many  Islands,  251. 

Lake,  Hotel,  Ten-Mile,  104. 

Landing,  Mossup's,  departure  from,  127. 

Leaking  badly,  canoes,  28. 

Lean-to,  night  under,  208. 

Long  Lake,  start  for,  137. 

Long  Lake,  deer-hunt,  141. 

Lonely  night,  240. 

Ludicrous  scene,  275. 

Lumbermen  hors  de  combat,  64. 

Lumbermen,  their  drunken  orgie,  62. 

Maganetawan  River,  scenery,  114. 
Magnificent  structure,  St.  James'  Cathedral, 
61. 


ijl'l 


INDEX, 


289 


r  IS 


j6. 


I127. 


- 


ledral, 


Miltenberger,  the  photographer,  81. 
Moose   and   deer,  preparation   for   grand 

hunt  of,  80. 
Moose,  a  shot  at,  167. 
Moose,  trailing,  172. 
Moose-calling,  172. 
Moose-chase,  great  excitement  of,  19; 
Moose-trail,  camped  on,  196. 
Moose-yard,  wild  excitement  in  this  chase, 

198. 
Moose,  the  woods  are  full  of  them,  202. 
Moose,  Captain  Ross  could  not  kill,  but 

did  kill  deer,  204. 
Moose,  discovery  of,  210. 
Moose  sighted,  212. 
Moose  bull  killed,  214. 
Moose  cow  wounded,  216. 
Moose  cow  wounded  and  trailed,  217. 
Moose-meat,  living  on,  219. 
Moose  photographed,  222. 
Moose-bull  killed  by  Captain  Ross,  238. 
Moose  reconnoissance,  182. 
Moose  reconnoissance,  delays,  etc.,  183. 
Mcose  reconnoissance,  started  on,  185. 
Moose  reconnoissance,  a  frugal  meal,  189. 
Moose  reconnoissance,  buck  killed,  191. 
Mountain-top,  lake  on,  139. 
Mossup's  Landing,  departure  from,  127. 
Mud  Lake,  74. 

Noble,  Bob,  a  guide,  69. 
Noble,  Bob,  in  a  sad  plight,  76. 

Obesity,  exercise  a  remedy  for,  8. 
Office,  we  immediately  wiJked  up  to,  I4. 
Our  start  for  home,  282. 

Party  attacked  by  fleas,  66. 
Partridge  which  was  not  killed,  107. 
Partridge-shooting,  more  of  this  sport,  279. 
Physical  exertion,  effects  of,  2. 
Photographer  Anton  Miltenberger,  81. 
Photographer  in  search  of  partridges,  1 19, 
Photographer  wins  the  prize,  145. 
Photographer  lost,  152. 
Photographer  found,  165. 
Photographer's  wanderings,  156. 
Photographer's  dream,  163. 


Photographer    supplied    our    camp    with 

ruffed  grouse,  223. 
Photographed  moose,  222. 
Pickerel  Lake,  our  stay  at,  70. 
Pickerel  Lake,  departure  from,  72. 
Pioneers,  their  hardships,  84. 
Played  out,  246. 

Poor  Goldsmith  thoroughly  frightened,  17. 
Pokorney,  Dr.,  the  old  deer-hunter,  43. 
Pokorney,  Dr.,  son  of,  57. 
Proprietor  of  stage-line,  Mr.  Bess,  97. 
Pratt's  Hotel,  63. 
Proprietor  of  hotel,  16. 

Reconnoissance,  moose,  182 
Reconnoissance,  moose,  delays,  etc.,  183. 
Reconnoissance,  moose,  started  on,  185. 
Reconnoissance,  moose,  a  frugal  meal,  189. 
Reconnoissance,  moose,  buck  killed,  191. 
Recreation  required,  2. 
Restricted,  killing  of  game  should  be,  134. 
Rendezvous,  the  village,  65. 
River  Maganetawan,  scenery  of,  1 14. 
Royall,  John,  good  services  of,  17. 
Ross,  Captain,  made  his  appearance,  109. 
Ross,  Captain,  returned  to  the  party,  131. 
Ross,  Captain,  could  not  kill  moose,  but 

did  kill  deer,  204. 
Ross,    Captain,    angry    and    disappointed, 

206. 
Ross,  Captain,  chief  guide,  65. 
Ross,  Captain,  killed  bull  moose,  238. 
Rosseau,  our  departure  from,  102. 
Romantic  wedding  on  an  island  in  Lake 

Rosseau,  86. 

Sand  Lake,  started  for,  77. 

Scenery  on  Maganetawan  River,  1 14. 

Scribe  prefers  a  bed  of  balsam  boughs,  31. 

Scribe  and  Esculapius  follow  John,  38. 

Shot  at  a  moose,  167. 

Shelbyville,  Tenn.,  13. 

Sighted  moose,  2!  2. 

Snow-storm,  228. 

Son  of  Dr.  Pokorney,  57. 

Spence,  our  camp  near,  105. 

Sphynx  Falls,  departure  from,  1 18. 

Stay  at  Pickerel  Lake,  70. 


«9 


290 


INDEX. 


14 

n 


m 


Strucc,  Mr.,  our  first  meeting,  97. 
St.  Jnmes'  Cathedral,  a  magnificent  struc- 
ture, 61. 
Storm,  rain-,  221. 
Storm,  thunder,  73. 
Sunday  fishing  and  what  followed,  34. 
Sugar-Bush  Lake,  return  to,  220. 
Surprised  wood-chopper,  244. 

Ten-Mile  Lake  Hotel,  104. 
The  hunt  ended,  281. 
The  old  buck,  manoeuvring  of,  268. 
The  dogs  are  fairly  yelling,  263. 
The  hoy's  first  deer-hunt,  253. 
The  boy  killed  his  first  deer,  255. 
The  author  and  his  son,  250. 
The  ox-team  and  the  old  jumper,  242. 
The  wedding  described,  88. 
The  grand  moose-  and  deer-hunt,  prepara- 
tion for,  80. 
The  lean-to,  night  under,  208. 
The  village  rendezvous,  65. 
This  tramp  long  to  be  remembered,  30. 
Thunder-storm,  73. 
Toronto,  guides  employed,  24. 


Trysting-placc,  beaver,  115. 
Trailing  moose,  172. 

Unsavory  sleeping-apartmenls,  41. 
Unpleasant  tramp,  229. 

Village  rendezvous,  65. 
Villagers,  deer-hunt  with,  247. 
Village  of  Burk's  Falls,  283. 

Watte's  Creek,  return    of   Governor  and 

Esculapius  from,  46. 
Watte's   Creek   started    for   by   Governor 

and  Esculapius,  42. 
Wedding,  romantic,  on  an  island  in  Lake 

Rosseau,  86. 
Wedding  described,  88. 
Wedding  guests  take  their  departure  94. 
Wellington  Rose,  guide,  82. 
What  has  happened  ?  264. 
Wilderness,  unexplored,  12. 
Wood-chopper  surprised,  244. 

Youthful  driver,  122. 


THE  END. 


f^ilt 


r  and 


irernor 


Lake 


94. 


